Friends of Ferdinand Inc. (FFI) is an Indiana-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting responsible retirement for racehorses in Indiana and the Midwest with options for second careers.

Established in 2005, Friends of Ferdinand took its name from the famed racehorse Ferdinand, a Kentucky Derby winner who earned millions on the track but was ultimately sent to slaughter. To honor his memory, FFI has established a very successful retraining and adoption program.

Each horse receives a thorough vet check to identify any physical limitations and generally stays a minimum of 90 days for evaluation and retraining. Once ready to begin work, Friends of Ferdinand’s retraining philosophy is: “Let the horse set the pace.”

Whether it takes three months or six, Friends of Ferdinand horses are ready for new careers.  With both English and western trainers on their roster, they offer horses for adoption for all types and levels of riders, from amateurs to advanced riders.  Additionally, the Pasture Pals program focuses on matching companion-only horses with secure long-term homes, and their Broodmare Bunch program retrains retired broodmares so that they may have “third careers” after their time being racehorses and mothers is over.

The goal of Friends of Ferdinand is to work closely with adopters to find the right home for each horse the first time. The adoption process begins with an application that includes veterinarian, farrier, and personal references. Potential adopters are required to visit and ride their potential horses with one of FFI’s trainers. In addition, adopters are offered a 30-day trial so that they may take their new horse home for a prepurchase exam and evaluations by their own veterinarian, farrier, and trainer.

These adoption and matchmaking processes have proven effective, with a very successful adoption rate. Graduates from the FFI program have gone on to have success in hunting/jumping, dressage, calf-roping, western riding, trail riding, and as therapy horses. Friends of Ferdinand is run by a hardworking band of volunteers and assisted by trainers and veterinarians to give retiring racehorses everything they need to have long and happy second careers. Their motto is: “Retired from racing, not from life.”