You cannot legally go out and catch wild horses in Wyoming. Federal law makes it a crime to capture, harass, or remove a wild horse from public land, with penalties of up to $2,000 and a year in prison per violation. The only lawful way to take one home is through the Bureau of Land Management’s adoption or sale programs, which require an approved application, facilities that meet BLM standards, and, for adoptions, a one-year waiting period before you actually own the animal.
Why Catching One Is a Federal Crime
Wild horses on public land are managed by the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. No one may remove a wild horse, convert it to private use, harass it, or kill it without authorization from the Secretary of the Interior.1Bureau of Land Management. About the Program
Under 16 U.S.C. § 1338, each of those acts, along with processing a wild horse’s remains into commercial products or selling one maintained under the Act, can bring a fine of up to $2,000, imprisonment of up to one year, or both.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 U.S.C. 1338 – Criminal Provisions The federal government keeps legal ownership of every wild horse until it formally transfers title through the adoption process. Possessing one without paperwork is enough to put you in violation.
The Legal Route: BLM Adoption or Sale
Federal law lets the Secretary have excess wild horses “humanely captured and removed for private maintenance and care” when qualified individuals can provide proper transportation, feeding, and handling.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 U.S.C. 1333 – Powers and Duties of Secretary Wyoming has 14 BLM-managed herd management areas, and when populations exceed what the range can sustain, the agency conducts gathers and makes those animals available.4Bureau of Land Management. Wyoming – Herd Management Areas Those gathered horses are the ones you can legally acquire.
Two programs exist. Adoption is the main one: you pay a fee, take the horse home, and the BLM checks on you before transferring title a year later. No more than four animals per year unless the BLM approves more in writing. Sales work differently. Only horses over 10 years old or passed over for adoption at least three times are eligible, and a sale gives you immediate ownership through a Bill of Sale with no probationary period. Sale prices start at $25 per animal, and individuals can buy up to four every six months.5Bureau of Land Management. Wild Horse and Burros Sales Program
Adoptions happen at BLM corrals, off-site events, and through the agency’s Online Corral, which lets you browse available animals and apply electronically. Some events use competitive bidding; others use a lottery or first-come, first-served selection.
Facility and Trailer Requirements
Your property has to meet BLM standards before an application is approved. Fail on any of these and the answer is no.
- Corral space of at least 400 square feet per animal, with food, water, and shelter.
- Fencing of at least six feet for adult horses, five feet for yearlings, and four and a half feet for burros, made of visible materials like wood or pipe.
- A sturdy three-sided shelter for protection from wind and weather.
Transportation is where first-time adopters most often get stopped. The BLM will not haul the horse for you. You need a stock-type trailer with rear swing gates, a covered top, sturdy walls and floors, smooth interior surfaces free of sharp protrusions, adequate headroom and ventilation, non-skid flooring, and removable partitions to separate animals by size if needed.6Bureau of Land Management. Direction for the Sale of Wild Horses and Burros – Interim Guidance Drop-ramp trailers, divided two-horse trailers, and trucks with stock racks are not acceptable for adult horses. The BLM inspects your trailer on pickup day and will refuse to load if it doesn’t meet the specs.
Application, Fees, and Getting Title
Everything runs through BLM Form 4700-4, the Application for Adoption and Care of Wild Horses and Burros, available on the BLM website or at a regional field office. You provide contact information, the address where the horse will live, and detailed descriptions of your corral, fencing, gates, water sources, and feed. Photos or diagrams help avoid delays.
Signing the form certifies that you will provide humane care and will not sell or transfer the animal to anyone who intends to send it to slaughter or process it into commercial products. A false statement is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1001.7Bureau of Land Management. Adoption Program Applicants must be at least 18 with no record of animal abuse. There is no explicit land-ownership requirement, but your facilities must meet every specification whether you own or lease.
The minimum adoption fee for an untrained wild horse or burro is $25 at lottery and first-come events. Trained or gentled animals carry a $125 minimum, and competitive bidding can push prices higher.8Bureau of Land Management. Adoption and Purchase Frequently Asked Questions
Paying the fee and picking up the horse does not make you the owner. The federal government keeps title for the first twelve months, and during that year the animal must stay in the United States.8Bureau of Land Management. Adoption and Purchase Frequently Asked Questions The BLM contacts first-time adopters within six months to check on the animal, by phone call, site visit, or virtual inspection, and a percentage of untitled animals are randomly inspected each year.
After one year, the BLM sends title instructions. You return a signed letter from a qualified person, such as a veterinarian or county extension agent, verifying humane care and treatment. The BLM then issues a Certificate of Title, and the horse is legally yours.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 U.S.C. 1333 – Powers and Duties of Secretary Until that certificate is in your hands, you cannot sell, give away, or transfer the animal.
What About Horses That Wander Onto Your Land
This trips up Wyoming landowners regularly. Under state law, if unclaimed horses are found on land you own or control, you can gather them without a permit. But you have to present them to a brand inspector in your county without unnecessary delay so the inspector can determine ownership. You are responsible for the costs of the gather and for feed and care until the inspection happens. If no rightful owner is found, the horses are disposed of under Wyoming’s estray laws. They do not become yours by default.
Taking up or keeping an estray without the owner’s knowledge or consent, or restraining one for personal use, is punishable under Wyoming law. If the horse carries a BLM freeze brand, it is federal property, and the federal criminal provisions apply on top of any state consequences. Contact both the county brand inspector and the BLM if unbranded or freeze-branded horses show up on your property.
The Adoption Incentive Program Is Gone
The BLM used to pay a cash incentive to people who adopted a wild horse and obtained title. A federal court order issued on March 3, 2025 shut it down. The BLM stopped issuing incentive payments for any animal not titled before that date and discontinued participation in the program.9Bureau of Land Management. Adoption Incentive Program If you’re weighing adoption now, the payment is no longer part of the math. What remains are the fees and process above.