| Horsetheif cave entrance is a large opening that seems to be a solution doline, maybe caused by an artesian aquifier. About 30 ' wide and 20' high. The main passage follows the right upper path for a few hundred feet, until you see the cave register. It then turns into a crawl for another 100' or so, till you reach the gate.
Horsetheif cave was discovered in the early 1940's and was later gated and locked in 1972. Bighorn cave is due east of Horsetheif, and was later discovered that the two caves were connected. The connection point has been plugged off due to the passage being before the gate in Horsetheif.
Horsetheif was considered minor in size when compared to Bighorn cave, until a group of cavers discovered Denise's crystal crawl. That led to many people rushing to map and explore the new found passages. Today the cave still has not been fully explored, nor mapped. Horsethief is an extremely technical cave and should only be explored by qualified cavers. It is very easy to become lost or disoriented
Horsetheif and Bighorn Caves both contain high readings of radon gas, which has been known to cause lung cancer. An allowable amount of time in the caves is 136 hours of exposure a year.
The key and permit can be obtained from the Cody BLM office.
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