I went back out to the Riata Ranch near Cheyenne today for the second day in a row. I was there on Friday photographing folks looking at wild-born horses that were to be auctioned off by the Bureau of Land Management. Today was the auction itself and several ranchers showed up to bid on the young horses, including Erich Pröll, an Austrian filmmaker who bought two horses to take back to a ranch he owns near Linz in northern Austria. The BLM captures several young, wild-born horses every year and auctions them off in an effort to control the wild-horse population in the west. Horses don’t have many predators in the wild and, unlike wild game like antelope and deer, the government cannot use hunting seasons to control the population. The first horse sold for $750, to Pröll, but several went for less than $300.
john says
great shots, love wild horses. Those prices are very good for horses any horses. Horses are not cars, it is rare, unless the horse is a pricey racer that wins purses, to cost very much more tha 100 or so.
you figure it out. unless the horse brings in money that c
horse, like any pet costs. food shelter. the less it costs the new owner the easier it is for the owner to retain their budget.
whether or not the wealthy agree pets, like children are a requirement for people, and only real weirdos disallow them entirely. so most salaries have them budgeted in but the initial cost of them can’t break the bank.
once again, great photos.