Well that's the way it should work. The state did its job in rounding up the horses and protecting the public. And if the horsey folks wanted them protected, they had to "pony up" as they say and buy them at an open auction. That's the free market. Now if the buyers would just release the horses back into the wild, then the state could round them up and sell them again. That could be a great revolving revenue generator for the state.