The money is always taken when you bid . If someone outbids you, you'll get it back and, if you win the auction, you'll get the horse when the auction ends. It can take 5 to 10 minutes after an auction ends for the horse to appear.

It's done this way to make sure that you have enough equus to pay if you're the winner.

It takes the money during a bid to ensure you have enough money if you win the auction. If someone outbids you , you get the money back.

If the auction ended with you as the highest bidder, you may have to wait several minutes for the horse to arrive, as it can take a bit of extra time

To add as well, during the final 30 seconds, the timer will refresh to 30 if there are any bids.