Here's how a wild mustang named Outlaw was captured after 66 days on the loose

After 66 days on the run, the Carroll County wild mustang was captured Thursday and taken to a horse rescue.

The horse, now named Outlaw, is settling into his stall at Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue in Mount Airy.

The sorrel gelding is untrained and required professional assistance to capture. 

It was roaming the area near Liberty Reservoir after being spooked by a lawnmower and jumping over a fence at the end of June.

He's been spotted dozens of times near Deer Park Road, which frightened neighbors who worried about the safety of drivers and the horse.

How Outlaw was captured

The rescue team, which included Carroll County Animal Control, Gentle Giants, a professional horseman, and Baltimore City Environmental Police, began collaborating on a plan in the last few weeks. Patience was key to trapping the horse safely.

County animal control partnered with JR Raulerson, a professional horseman originally contracted by the mustang's owner, to find the horse in the vast wooded area. Raulerson said he used trail cameras, a drone, and even on-foot scouting to find where the horse was living.

After finding the area where he was likely living, Raulerson tried using his horse to lead Outlaw to a pen. While working with Gentle Giants, experts warned that the strategy may not work because of the horse's history of being corralled in the wild.

Raulerson decided to place a pen in the woods near where the horse was staying. He then lured the horse with hay and other food, monitoring the Outlaw's patterns with cameras. Once patterns were established, Raulerson trapped the horse.

"It was challenging, and it really made me think outside the box because I'm dealing with an animal that hasn't had a lot of human contact, so you got to almost put yourself into his mindset," Raulerson said.

The rescue team gathered Thursday to lead the horse from the pen to a horse trailer for transport. They created a chute that led the horse to a trailer by using 59 fence panels that each measured 10 feet by 10 feet. Crews even removed debris and trees to make a path.

After just minutes, Outlaw walked through the alley and onto the horse trailer without incident.

"It was a lot of work to definitely get there. Definitely a more extreme case than I've been on in most places," Courtney Rosenberger, Community Outreach Coordinator at Gentle Giants, said.

The Carroll County Sheriff's Office and Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Baltimore County Division helped with traffic while the mustang was moved to Gentle Giants Horse Rescue.

Outlaw was unloaded into a round pen at Gentle Giants before walking into his stall on his own. After decompressing, he will be able to roam more freely in outdoor pens and eventually with other horses in pasture.  

Outlaw is safe in his new home, where trainers will begin working with him to make him a backyard companion or trail horse in the future.  

"Right now, this horse is very relaxed and happy to be here, I can tell, and so I'm really happy with the outcome. Couldn't ask for a better situation," Raulerson added.

How Outlaw got to Maryland

Because the horse is a mustang, the county also consulted the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to determine the best approach. Outlaw was purchased at a BLM auction before arriving in Maryland.

The BLM protects and manages wild horses on federal public lands, and when populations become too high, they can be placed into private care through adoption or sale. 

Gentle Giants is concerned about these horse auctions because the vetting process for adopters is inconsistent.

"You don't have to be vetted and become an approved adopter through the BLM. You can purchase them for $25. You pick up your horse and you take them home, and who knows what happens from there?" Lorin Grey, Director of Growth and Development for Gentle Giants, said. "If you don't have facilities like ours where you can manage this horse safely, the risk is really high."

Wild horses are rounded up, sometimes by helicopters, to be sold at auction, which puts extra strain on the animals. Gentle Giants explained the horses are then taken to a holding facility and then shipped across the country.

What happens next

Law enforcement sources previously told CBS News Baltimore the mustang had been cared for by someone who is facing animal cruelty and abandonment charges in an unrelated case in Jefferson County, West Virginia. 

Carroll County Animal Control is still investigating this incident. Baltimore Environmental Police said it is working with authorities in West Virginia.

The ownership of the horse has now been surrendered to the Humane Society of Carroll County, which is working to transfer ownership to Gentle Giants.

The horse will need ongoing care, and the county is encouraging people to pitch in. 

Gentle Giants boasts 400 acres of land across two facilities. More than 200 horses live on their property right now and hundreds are adopted out of the facility each year. The rescue offers private tours to meet the horses. While he decompresses, Outlaw's barn is not open to the public, but the rescue hopes people can visit him soon.

Neighbors in Carroll County who saw the horse tell me they have already started making donations to help other horses like Outlaw.

"Members of the public who would like to help with his food, veterinary care, farrier services and other needs are encouraged to make a donation directly to Gentle Giants Horse Rescue, where he is now receiving care," a statement from Gentle Giants said.

Click here to visit the rescue's website and learn more.