Friends of Ferdinand Inc. has no paid employees. Every aspect of our operation is run 100% by volunteers. This allows us to direct our funds towards supporting horses in our adoption program.

Volunteer Opportunities exist at all levels of the organization - at the track, working with the horses in the adoption program, fostering, operations and special events.

please email
contact@friendsofferdinand.org
for more information

Track Volunteer

We currently have openings for 3-4 Track Volunteers for the 2008 Spring and Fall Thoroughbred meets at Indiana Downs (Shelbyville, IN) and Hoosier Park (Anderson, IN). We are needing help with supporting roles in the Track-Listing Program. Opening Day for the 2008 Fall Meet at Indiana Downs is August 29th As a Friends of Ferdinand Track volunteer you will receive credentials from the Indiana Racing Commission that will grant you access to the barn areas of Indiana Downs and Hoosier Park. FFI Track Volunteers visit the tracks every weekend during the race seasons. You will walk the shed rows and network with racehorse owners and trainers who are looking to sell or donate horses that are no longer competitive racehorses. Why: Track Volunteers are lifelines for horses that are not competitive racehorses and are at-risk. You are giving these animals an opportunity to find a new home and a new job. Friends of Ferdinand volunteers take an average of 112 track listings per year, and we have a 87% success rate. How often: We need a commitment of at least once a month during the spring meet at Indiana Downs and the fall meet at Hoosier Park. A new volunteer will be scheduled with a seasoned volunteer. If you want to go more often just let us know! What you will do: As a track volunteer, you will take digital pictures of horses available for sale and gather relevant information about the horse. You will then email this information to FFI volunteers who are responsible for creating and uploading sale listing to www.friendsofferdinand.org, www.equinehits.com, and www.equinenow.com on a weekly basis. What you will see: You will see racehorses in their morning routines - going to the track to train and exercise, playing on the walker, resting in their stalls, and being treated by the veterinarian. Sometimes volunteers are worried that they will see something that will bother them when they volunteer. These horses are valuable athletes and are treated as such. It is when they are no longer able to perform their job that they become at-risk. As an FFI volunteer you will be working within a network of people that are committed to preventing these horses from getting into situations where they are abused, neglected or slaughtered.   Support Roles: - Volunteers responsible for maintaining track-listings on the internet on a weekly basis. - Volunteer responsible for scheduling the track visits - Transporting horses donated to FFI from the track to their foster home. We don't always have much time to take possession of a horse. Having a reliable group of people to call upon to transport horses once a horse is accepted into the adoption program by the Board of Director's is very important.

Foster Homes

Friends of Ferdinand has no central facility and is always in need of foster homes. Horses are taken into our adoption program based on our ability to financially support them and the availability of a suitable foster home. Our horses are housed and cared for by carefully screened individual foster homes that are located throughout the state of Indiana. Because our foster homes care for their FFI horse as if it were their own, we believe our horses get the individual care and attention they need and deserve. Direct expenses (hay, feed, farrier, vet etc.) of FFI horses are eligible for reimbursement. Any expenses not submitted for reimbursement are tax-deductible. We will try and set-up direct billing with your vet and farrier. It's not uncommon for foster homes to decide that their FFI fostered horse is perfect and cannot leave. Foster homes are always given first right of refusal. Because our foster homes know their foster horse better than anyone, their input is valuable when we consider and screen potential adopters for their horse. Our foster homes are very involved in the adoption process. What if you do not have your own farm and you board your horses but also like the idea of fostering? That's OK. If your boarding facility is within our budget, or we are able to negotiate a reduced rate, we will place an FFI foster horse under the care of a foster volunteer in a boarding facility. As the foster, you will be expected to care for your boarded FFI foster horse as if it were your own. Sometimes, an FFI foster horse that is housed in a boarding facility is sponsored by several boarders in a group effort to help a horse in-need.