I know what you mean-- some of the horses look wonderful! I have to keep reminding myself I have a lovely horse already! Then, some of the others are so pitiful and I wish I, too, could rescue them. It’s our horsewomen’s hearts.
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There are a lot of horses listed now. I like the Standardbreds and 7971 a homely little chestnut gelding who is supposed to go to slaughter on Tuesday. Hmmmmm…
Rooting for you Mulligan!
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Oh, sweetie pie!
To those aspiring Andalusian owners, there are some cute crosses that just landed in the kill pens. One never knows the truth in lineage, but it seems some part of them very well could be.
This thread has ruined my resolve, and I am positive I will be picking up a mystery gem from here in the future. I cannot now, or there is a grey 16hh stallion I would have already added to the cart.
I look every day and torture myself.
Thanks a lot guys. 
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Even though mine still currently resides 1,000 miles away, getting photos and videos and seeing the spunk and fire in his eyes come back has been so worth it. He’s the first at the gate for breakfast every morning, and his caretaker’s young daughter—who is afraid of all the other horses—will only handle him. He told the animal communicator that he knew he’d make it out fine because “he was a good horse,” and I think he was right. 
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Mulligan update: He got a desperately needed hoof trim, a haircut, and turned out in one of my bigger pastures for the first time. Some operant counter-conditioning work is going well - he was doing pretty fine with the white flappy plastic bag on a stick the other day. Working a ton on groundwork skills in general. I’m having a blast with him, and he’s looking better and better!
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I am stupidly considering one of these. One of the younger ones that maybe would be salvageable. Not lame in the video… of course it’s a crapshoot but isn’t any horse?
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Indeed they all are! There are a couple of cute movers and I think with some time and a regular schedule, they will come around and prove to be quite athletic.
I carefully inspected my oldies this morning, all in fine condition so I must wait this one out. I do hope you add one to your cart!
Very nice turn around in 6 weeks.
Transport quote they gave me was kinda crazy. I am far away. I haven’t shipped a horse in a long time and never one from a sketchy source. Not sure how I’d manage that with a shipper.
Has anyone had luck shipping a horse from auction? They will provide a health certificate but doesn’t look like a Coggins.
Another option: you can buy a BLM mustang from a TIP trainer. They are being sold by the dozens every day. at verrrrrrry reasonable prices. Like 1k-ish i think?
Basically what has happened is a person familiar with mustangs picks up a few at a time, teaches them how to lead on a halter. How to get their feet handled by a farrier and how to load on a trailer. That’s all the TIP trainers are to do. Some go further and add a little saddle experience, but most do not. Also, you are able to dialogue with the TIP trainer and find out a LOT about that mustang’s personality, physical structure, and i’m pretty sure a TIP trainer will make a video if you wish to see the horse’s gaits. They can only keep so many at a time, and they gain by moving them through as quickly as they can.
I am NOT a TIP trainer. I’ve adopted (adoption incentive program) and outright purchased (SA ie: sales authority) straight from BLM’s online auction nine (9!) mustangs. Do not regret even one of those. They are beautiful and well put-together and SO HEALTHY!!!
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Rats! I have heard the shipping they offer can be pricey.
I have had luck with posting on Facebook for rides via a horse connected friend with a hitch a ride page. Not sure which direction you are from Texas, but I moved a formerly leased horse 600 miles in a couple days with that method. A more feral horse might have fewer offers.
Still wishing you luck and hoping things fall into place!
There was a gorgeous 13.2hh mustang gelding that was listed at Bowie last month, I had to sit on my hands while I watched his video. He was stout and seemed really broke, just a beautiful solid little horse.
Luckily he was purchased before his ship date, someone got themselves a really neat horse.
Mr. Kooky is getting a mustang eventually. He doesn’t know this yet, but life is full of surprises around here. As with most horse things, I plan on calling it his and ultimately making it my own.
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Shipping a horse out of there is definitely the biggest hurdle. I would not use the transport service offered by Bowie. I was able to find a commercial (DOT-licensed) hauler that would take my colt - Bowie was able to provide (for a fee, naturally…) both a health cert and Coggins. Many commercial haulers, justifiably, treat Bowie/O’Dwyer horses as a “dirty load.” I don’t know if I got lucky or if my hauler considered Bowie just a notch more reputable than other kill pen lots out there, but my hauler gave my unhandled colt a box stall and was great! I did pay an arm and leg to have him shipped, but let’s not dwell on that 
Or tell my SO. Let’s not do that either.
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I just made another thread about this. Would you mind PM’ing me how you did Coggins and who you used for shipping? I totally understand shippers not wanting KP horses in their trailers or with other horses.
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I’m just curious why you wouldn’t work with a rescue if you’re looking for a safe husband horse and don’t care about the breed or gender? They have horses that have already been vetted and tested in need of good homes. I see ads all the time for safe trail horses through rescues and you’d have a much better picture of what you’re getting than through an auction.
In my area there are rescues that actually pull from the auctions (purchase).
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The rescues in my area that I have contacted just have young unbroke horses or old / permanently lame retirees. I think that broke horses get adopted right away if they come in.
I’m loving seeing the Bowie horses that you have adopted. I haven’t worked up the guts yet to do it and have been busy with work and life. I went to see a few locally and there is one that in retrospect I wish I had bought now. They would have sold him for $4k which seemed way too much for a middle aged grade neglected looking (thin, loooonnngg hooves, horrible case of scratches on both hind legs) but now seems like a bargain. I think I will have to adjust my expectations about horse prices in my area.
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The auction offers a much larger variety of horses than a rescue, and you can really get a fantastic deal on a quality animal. I have been getting projects from kill pens since I was a kid, that’s decades of horses and really great experiences.
I have taken a pause as my lesson horses retired and filled those project horse holes, that being said, when the bridge comes for them I am going back.
We have a local rescue that is registered as a non profit but the horses and the care or “training” offered is typically poor quality. They have horses donated and also shop the same auction pens I used to haunt.
They mark up those auction horses a great deal and immediately offer them for “adoption”. No reason to pay a mark up fee, when you can shop the same clearance racks.
