Residents in Ruidoso are outraged after they say the state rounded up a dozen horses without any notice.
KOAT-TV in Albuquerque reports (http://bit.ly/2bKCce9) that the state's Livestock Board have had them since Friday after someone registered a complaint.
Ruidoso's tourism director, Gina Kelley, says the horses are a staple of the area and have moved freely near the village for years.
She says residents volunteer to provide food and look after them.
Representatives from the Livestock Board did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Some horses are protected under federal law.
Residents have already raised more than $10,000 to buy the horses if they go up on the auction block.
An online petition asking Gov. Susana Martinez to step in has more than 2,000 signatures.
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Information from: KOAT-TV, http://www.thenewmexicochannel.com/index.html
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