Friends of Ferdinand is a longtime racehorse aftercare program located in central Indiana. Their mission of retraining and rehoming retired racehorses is vital to the Thoroughbred racing industry.

Indiana Grand Racing & Casino, located in Shelbyville, Indiana, is proud to be an annual donor to the organization, which has placed many former racehorses into second careers after life on the track.

“The donation of $6,000 will cover the cost of placing two former racehorses into their next career,” said Wendy Brown, board member for Friends of Ferdinand. “We are thrilled to get this donation. Indiana Grand is so dedicated to the aftercare of horses, and we appreciate their support.”

Friends of Ferdinand, a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, is the only Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accredited operation in the state of Indiana. Located in Mooresville, Ind., hundreds of former racehorses have gone through their program and are now enjoying life as show horses, jumpers, trail horses, and even reigning horses. Since 2005, a total of 95% of the horses passing through their program are thriving in new careers.

“Without aftercare programs such as Friends of Ferdinand, many of our racehorses would not have the opportunity to find good homes at the conclusion of their racing careers,” said Eric Halstrom, vice president and general manager of racing at Indiana Grand. “These horses still have a lot of value when their racing careers are complete, so providing this avenue into a new phase of their life is very important to the racing industry. We are very proud to support their efforts on an annual basis and value our partnership with Friends of Ferdinand.”

More information on horses currently available for adoption and other news about Friends of Ferdinand may be found at www.friendsofferdinand.com.