A number of extremely rare ponies were sold at the Grunthal Livestock Auction Mart on Saturday.

The 25 Lac La Croix Indigenous Ponies or Ojibway Horses had belonged to Rhonda Snow of Fort Frances Ontario. She says the breed is so rare that there is only one purebred breeding stock left in the world and notes many of the ponies in her small herd were rescued animals. She adds they are a hearty breed that has deep roots with the indigenous peoples of Northwestern Ontario.

Snow says she was forced into selling her animals.

Two Lac La Croix Indigenous Ponies at the Grunthal Livestock Auction Mart"I have to disperse the herd because I have a divorce happening. I could not know for sure what to do with them anymore and I have tried for years and years to get people to understand that these little horses need protection and now I felt backed into a corner that I had to sell them and this is where I ended up."

Snow says initially she was worried the ponies would be sold off for meat because many of them were wild, but people from across southern Manitoba stepped up to buy and protect the animals.

"I am shocked. I would probably be bawling my face off right now but the building here with the owner and all of his workers, they are so protective of the horses and accommodating and I have had Rare Breeds Canada who has been wonderful too."

Grunthal Auction Mart Manager Harold Unrau says they got a lot of extra attention on Saturday because of the ponies.

"I think has been good for the auction. I have probably had 200 calls for the ponies. We have probably 350 or 400 people here and a lot of people are concerned about them going for slaughter but they will not go for slaughter."

Snow says she is thankful to the Grunthal Auction Mart for being so accommodating and to those that came to buy the ponies for protecting the future of the animals.