Friends of Ferdinand, Inc. Reaccredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance
Friends of Ferdinand, Inc. (FFI) is thrilled to announce their reaccreditation for another two years through the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA). Friends of Ferdinand first earned accreditation by the TAA in 2014 and has been reaccredited each cycle since.
The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) is a nonprofit organization designed to serve the industry twofold: as the accrediting body for aftercare facilities that care for Thoroughbreds upon retirement from racing and as a fundraising and grant allocation body to support these approved facilities.
For an organization to receive TAA-accreditation, it must pass a thorough and rigorous inspection process, as well as meet and maintain a set Code of Standards. The TAA’s Code of Standards and accreditation process have been reviewed and approved by the American Humane Association and the American Association of Equine Practitioners. Organizations are required to complete an in-depth application and receive on-site visits to all facilities caring for their horses.
Currently, 81 organizations in North America hold TAA accreditation. Friends of Ferdinand is the first and only organization based in Indiana to be accredited by the TAA.
From left to right: Friends of Ferdinand’s head western trainer, Brandon Fortner aboard Soy Sauce, Board Member Heather Hoffmann aboard Bisque, former President Sara Busbice with Is He Proud, and President Erin Smith with Vindication Alley, pictured at an Introduction to Cattle Clinic. All four horses are graduates of the FFI retraining program.
Photo by Chelsey Burris
“We are thrilled to earn TAA-accreditation once again this cycle,” shared FFI’s President Erin Smith. “The funds distributed by the TAA make a huge impact on our program, and on the number of ex-racehorses we can transition from the racetrack into long-term homes.”
You can learn more about the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, and their accreditation process, here.
Friends of Ferdinand, Inc. (FFI) is a 501c3 non-profit equine organization that is dedicated to retired racehorses, and the only organization in Indiana that is accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA). Graduates from our program have gone on to have success in hunting/jumping, dressage, calf-roping, western riding, trail riding, and as therapy horses. We are 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 and lives.
- FFI .
