Sadly, the situation with Swagger's repossession has concluded how many of us feared it might. Despite the voices of thousands of equestrians and concerned individuals around the world who raised their concerns about Swagger being repossessed, Heart of Phoenix has ignored these pleas.

At this time, we do not know for certain what will happen next for Swagger. We hope he goes to another kind, gentle trainer, but are worried about the possibilities:

• Swagger could be sent to a traditional/mainstream trainer who will rely on force and coercion to establish control and obedience at all costs, prioritizing quick results over Swagger's well-being. He may bounce around between several foster homes/trainers, and it's unclear if he will be adoptable or if Ivy will be able to adopt him in the future.
  
  
• Harsh training methods may be justified as “necessary,” regardless of the harm caused to Swagger and numerous counter-examples otherwise (see this post for some). It's unlikely that we will see transparent, honest training videos like the ones Ivy shared, and content we do see will likely misrepresent the methods used, sugar-coating or outright denying the presence of force and coercion.
  
  
• There may be a significant public display intended to discredit R+ training and Ivy’s compassionate approach, promoting the narrative that “R+ doesn’t work.” You might see Swagger being paraded around social media or at upcoming events, promoting the rescue and perpetuating a harmful, twisted narrative about his situation and R+ in general. 

Why This Matters

This is not just about Swagger—it’s about standing up for ethical treatment of equines everywhere. Ivy’s work with Swagger demonstrated how patient, compassionate, and science-based R+ training can help even the most challenging horses thrive. Her approach was slow and conservative because she thought they had his entire lifetime ahead of them. She chose to prioritize long-term success over short-term results, something any good horse person would applaud. 

It’s also about fostering ethics and accountability in rescue operations. While fostering should be a wonderful way to provide rescue horses with individualized care that shelters cannot, we see here how there can be power imbalances that leave the foster homes exploited. Foster families invest significant time, effort, and financial resources, yet they are sometimes left without recourse when rescues behave unethically or unfairly. 

For example, Heart of Phoenix allowed Ivy to invest heavily in Swagger’s care—financially and emotionally—without honoring her as a permanent adopter, despite her history of successful adoptions with the rescue. They also failed to communicate any deadlines until repossessing Swagger, making it impossible to comply with their new requirements in time. This is unacceptable and a disservice to both Ivy and Swagger. 

What You Can Do

1. Stay informed: Learn to recognize logical fallacies, gaslighting, and manipulation, so you can more easily assess transparency vs. constructed narratives. Learn to spot subtle signs of force and coercion in equine training and understand equine body language that signals stress, fear, or discomfort. Educational materials on these topics are available online, provided in honor of Swagger's journey and to thank those who have supported him.

2. Advocate for ethical equine care: Share counter-stories of R+ training successes to challenge claims about its ineffectiveness, such as the ones listed in this post.

3. Support fostering done right: Rescues should respect foster homes, provide clear and fair agreements, and ensure foster families are not financially exploited. Work with rescues who pre-approve foster homes for adoption, ensure any requirements and timelines are communicated clearly in writing, and ensure any contracts protect the equine and foster home, not just the rescue. Additionally, some rescues provide assistance with cost of care, which helps decrease the burden on foster homes. 

For Swagger and Others Like Him

Swagger was lucky to have experienced Ivy’s thoughtful, intentional care, and it’s heartbreaking that an unjust power imbalance has harmed them both. This petition will remain open to advocate for Swagger’s return to Ivy’s care and to urge Heart of Phoenix and other rescues to do better in the future. 

Thank you for continuing to stand with us and for being a voice for Swagger and all equines who deserve compassion, respect, and ethical treatment.