HUTCHINSON, Kansas, May 9, 2008 – It’s not unusual for wild horses to be trained and sold at auctions, but to be trained by inmates could be another story.

A group from the Hutchinson Correctional Facility has spent the last couple of months working with wild Mustangs.

Curtis Richardson is serving a 14-year sentence on drug charges, but thanks to the Wild Horse Adoption Program, he doesn’t feel locked up.

"Sometimes you feel like you're free out here, working with the horses, you don't see all the fences,” said Richardson.

Richardson works for 60 cents a day training Wild Mustangs. While they learn patience, so too does Curtis.

"Show them a lot of love and affection, and try to do the best training we can on them,” Richardson said. ”Hopefully they get a good home. It's kind of like us, we hope to parole out someday just like the horses."

The rehabilitated horses are headed to new homes. Buyers like Becky Hastings got a close-up look at the horses. She was impressed by Richardson’s horse, Reno.

"Reno has great disposition, he holds his head well, his body confirmation is excellent and Curtis told me he's one of the gentlest horses you'll find,” Hastings said.

The horses are sold in a live auction where the bids can reach $1,000.

"The financial end of this is basically to keep the program operational and we hope to give the public a good animal for their interest and hopefully make a good useable pet or working horse out of it,” said Warden Sam Cline.

After the trained horses are sold, the program starts right back up again, preparing the inmates that live at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility for re-entry into society.

But once out of prison, don’t expect Richardson and others to make this life’s lesson their life’s career.

"It could, but I would rather go for something that had a little more benefits and a little less bone aches,” Richardson said.