There’s some good news for the Pryor Mountain horses. Fifteen of the older horses have been resettled on a 3000-acre ranch at the foot of the range.

Members of the Cloud Foundation, an organization that worked to save the herd, worked hard to ensure that all of the 57 horses removed from the herd were sold to good homes when the mustangs were auctioned off by the BLM on September 26th. The organization reported that residents of Billings, Montana, were instrumental in helping to save the older horses.

Probably because of the publicity, many of the mustangs sold for far more than the minimum bid of $125. Conquistador, a 19-year old stallion garnered the highest price at the auction, $2,500, while several of the other Pryor Mountain horses sold for more than $1,000.

As a result of these efforts the horses are now back in their family bands. Many people who had studied the herd were particularly worried about Conquistador, who would have had a difficult time transitioning to a domesticated life. He is one of the horses that has been released with his family group on a 3,000 acre ranch at the base of the Pryor Mountains.

Many of the younger horses were sold to private homes and at least two went to facilities that work with troubled youths. Mustangs are part of the program that teaches the teens to care for and bond with the horses.

For those who asked, Cloud and his band of mares were successfully released back into their territory after the round up. You can read about it in this article: Pryor Mountain Roundup Draws to a Close.