As the wild horse cull continues in a region northwest of Cochrane, as many as 60 of the animals will face an uncertain future at an Innisfail auction house.
The corralled horses will be available for purchase with the winning bidders electing to slaughter or care for their animals.
To date, 19 feral horses from this cull have been saved by an animal rescue organization, escaping the possibility of slaughter.
Wild Horses of Alberta Societies (WHOAS), a non-profit group, has transported the horses to a parcel of donated land west of the town of Sundre.
Volunteers will work intensively with the rescued animals until they reach a point where they can be adopted to suitable homes.
“They are wild animals, wild horses,” said Bob Henderson of WHOAS. "The biggest process is earning their trust. You, as a human predator, are not going to cause them any harm. It’s just time and patience. Working with them, getting them used to us humans being around and letting them know that they’re going to be okay."
This year, the society has accepted twice as many horses as previous years.
The organization credits the government for being more selective with the capture, choosing to trap younger horses which are easier for WHOAS volunteers to work with.
The provincial government says the estimated 880 wild horses which reside in the foothills will have their population reduced in an effort to reduce damage to rangelands.
