The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has fined an Idaho woman for removing a free-roaming horse from public lands in Utah.

The Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971 protects wild horses and burros and places them under the BLM’s jurisdiction. The act states that it is unlawful to remove a mustang or burro from public lands without authorization from an authorized officer of that agency.

In social media posts, Cynthia Guild Stoetzer said she was riding her horse near Justesen Flats, an informal camping area in south-central Utah when she came upon a brown and white mare that appeared to be malnourished. Stoetzer attempted to call the BLM via cell phone, but could not make contact, her post said. As a result, she loaded the animal into her trailer and transported it to the Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah, her post said.

“I did try to call them for more than a day,” Stoetzer said in a June 5 post. “I was trying to help out, actually