Utah State University is selling 11 registered horses in an online auction May 5-6. All proceeds will go back into the USU breeding program to help fund its education mission.
After selling eight horses last year, the auction raised almost $163,000 for the USU equine program. Gary Ryan Bayles, USU equine lecturer, hopes this year is just as successful and says that the selling of these horses is a cherry on top for their program.
“First and foremost, our program's about being able to use them in our classroom, and what we do for class, and they fill that purpose," Bayles said. "And then secondly, we produce a product that we feel people in the industry will want and like.”
The students in this program are involved in every part of the horses’ lives, from when they are born to when they are registered and sold, providing a valuable learning opportunity.
“We focus on making this an educational experience for the students and giving them opportunities to experience the industry in, maybe, a microcosm," Bayles said. "As much as we want the program to be this fantastic program, we don't want to lose sight that this is for this is also to help our mission in teaching."
Bayles added that he believes this program is also a great opportunity for students because not everyone is able to be so much a part of a colt’s life.
This year’s horses, eight yearlings and three two-year-olds, are bred to be cutting horses, which are trained for equestrian competitions that require a horse and rider to separate a single cow from a herd of cattle.
A horse with a good “cow sense” has traits that Bayles says will do well here in the West.
For more information on the auction or USU’s equine program, go to https://platinumhorsesales.com/ and https://caas.usu.edu/advs/equine/
