The SC TRF encourages horse lovers to adopt a Thoroughbred from Seabiscuit Stables and make him your own. Whether for pleasure riding, hunting and jumping or priceless companionship, a retired racehorse is a wonderful addition to a loving family and a happy home. To date, three horses have been adopted from SC TRF.

On Sept. 20, 2007, Andy Dufresne was free to gallop into the sunset. He had a new family and was ready for new experiences of riding, hunting, small jumping and even some dressage.

Andy is a retired Thoroughbred horse adopted from the South Carolina Committee of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. SC TRF partners with the Wateree River Correctional Facility, where prison inmates are specially trained to care for the retired Thoroughbreds.

Like his namesake Andy Dufresne from “The Shawshank Redemption,” Andy and the other retired horses at the facility had a positive affect on the inmates.

Andy, whose registered Thoroughbred name is “Schizophrenic” was adopted on Sept. 20 by Tobias Incollingo, a farm manager of Castleton Lyons Farms in Lexington, Ky.

“I didn’t know what I was expecting, but Andy turned out to be a very nice horse. I was very pleasantly surprised” said Incollingo, who adopted Andy for his niece, Hannah. His search ended at Kip Elser, president of SC TRF. Incollingo mentioned he was looking for a horse to give to his niece and Elser quickly responded.

“Kip knows the business, he did a great job. I told him what I wanted and I had Andy within 48 hours,” said Incollingo.

Still named Schizophrenic upon arrival in Kentucky, Andy was soon renamed by Incollingo’s yearling manager Kari Wells.

Andy now lives in Rhode Island with Hannah. Incollingo says Andy has and will continue to have an enormous impact on Hannah’s future as well as her self-esteem. She is constantly fielding compliments on the horse’s beautiful appearance and well-behaved demeanor. Incollingo also thinks Andy is a perfect fit for Hannah and they will “continue to develop together.”

As for the adoption process, Incollingo is very pleased with his choice in adopting from TRF. “People don’t have to go and spend so much money when adopting a horse if they would only look into TRF. They provided me with a quick and economical resource for adopting a horse” said Incollingo.

Second Chances, located at the Wateree River Correctional Institution in Rembert, South Carolina, allows inmates to interact with and care for retired racehorses—regal animals often forsaken once past their career primes or due to age or injury. As horses receive specialized care and restful retirement at this facility, inmates working in the program acquire usable skills in the equine field, building their confidence and post-sentence job marketability.