How To Adopt?

Friends of Ferdinand Horses

Adoption is the most important part of Horse Rescue

Adopting is different from buying a horse because you are providing a home to an animal that doesn't already have one. Friends of Ferdinand horses are supported 100% by donations, adoption fees and grants. It's our mission to find wonderful homes for these horses and ensure their future safety. In order to do this, FFI has established policies and procedures to evaluate both our horses and their potential adopters.

Many people who have adopted horses from FFI continue to support the organization in many ways - as volunteers in many aspects of our work and as foster homes for future FFI horses.

4 steps of adoption

1. To get the process started, you will need to complete and submit an adoption application. Adoption applications can be emailed or mailed:

contact@friendsofferdinand.org

Friends of Ferdinand Inc.
PO Box 1784
Indianapolis, IN 46206

An FFI volunteer will review your application and contact your references, vet and farrier.

Download adoption application

2. Come meet your prospective horse. We will schedule a time that is convenient for you, the foster home and an FFI representative to come and meet your horse. We encourage you to ride and spend lots of time with your horse.

3. Schedule a site visit. If you decide to pursue adoption, an FFI volunteer will schedule a time to come to your facility where you will house your horse. We want to ensure that the facility is safe and is able to meet the needs of the horse. If you live outside the state of Indiana, and are not close to a partnering organization, we will ask that your vet agree to completing the facility check as well as follow-up visits.

4. Arrange transportation and schedule time to complete the paperwork to bring your new horse home.

Follow-up visits:
During the first year of your adoption, an FFI will check-in with you at 3, 6 and 12 months to ensure that both you and your horse are happy and thriving. If you live outside Indiana and we do not have a partner organization in your area, we will ask your vet to agree to fulfill this requirement.

Vet Checks:
You may have your prospective horse vetted at any time. You are also welcome to consult with our veterinarian.

What if it doesn't work out?
Once a horse enters our adoption program, it always has a home with FFI. You can return the horse to FFI at any time, for any reason, no questions asked.

What if I am not sure if an ex-racer is for me?
You may choose to take several weeks or months to get to know your horse before adoption. We would encourage you to Sponsor your horse by making a donation to help defray his costs during this time. Your horse will be considered Adoption Pending and you can take as long as you need to make a good decision. You may also consider fostering your prospective horse.

What does "In Rehabilitation" mean? Because many of our horses come directly from the racetracks, they may need some time to adjust to life away from the track or have injuries that require time to heal. Once a horse is cleared by our veterinarian, it is made available for adoption and may begin re-training in our Second Chances program.

Adoption Fees
Adoption fees are determined on a case by case basis and are used to save another horse. Adoption Fees are non-refundable and can range from "donation appreciated" to $1500 for a very sound horse that has received significant re-training.

• FFI Facility Requirements

• FFI Adoption Application