Swagger vertical July 26 two hand touches

Some of the first times I've been able to touch the top of his head.
Swagger’s history

Swagger is a feral horse. He is a domestic horse that was either let loose to roam or was bred by the feral domestic herds in the Appalachian mountains in eastern Kentucky. Horses are turned out on private inactive strip mines (areas devoid of normal minerals and nutrients because of the mining process). These horses are not mustangs who have been hardened to wild living and often fare poorly without human help. Even with poor living conditions, these are privately owned horses that cannot be claimed unless something extenuating happens.

Swagger, a stallion, came down off the mountain with a mare and foal, presumably sired by him. He and his small band were in a yard, eating a lady’s rose bushes. She called the Kentucky Humane Society who sent their best people to gather them into their trailer.

Swagger and his band were in people’s yards and moving around on the logging roads frequented by fast moving trucks. These conditions allowed Swagger and his small herd to be gathered.

When he was gathered, even though he had been in the wild for 5 years, his feet were very long. He was skinny and malnourished from living on the mine site. These reasons make it incredibly hard to just turn him back out “in the wild”. He is not adapted for living in the wild.

After he was gathered and gelded by the humane society, he was transferred to the Heart of Phoenix rescue. I volunteered to work with him as I knew he was a gaited horse. I have been training him since April 2023.

You can support Swagger here: https://gofund.me/909cd1ad
• Swagger is a very unique, feral horse.
• Please resist the urge to offer suggestions. I know there are many techniques that work well for wild/feral horses, but this is the path I have chosen for myself and Swagger.
I have worked with Swagger for 180 hours over the 14 months I've had him.
• I am NOT looking for help, unless you are willing to come to Fort Worth and work with me in person and/or you have been following our journey since Summer 2023.
• Please do NOT recommend a trainer I should follow unless you are offering to help pay for training.
• This is a WILD horse. He may look calm because I work to keep him under threshold, but he is NOT a tame horse! He only accepts touch on his body in certain places and on certain days.
• I do not own the property and am limited to changes that I can make to the space.
• I am working with a professional and am a professional myself.
• I welcome ideas and suggestions from people who have followed our progress in its entirety (since May or June 2023), and understand the restrictions and time limitations we are under.
• I pay over $800/month for board and feed and professional training (virtual lessons).
• He is a feral horse, but not a mustang. He is gaited.
• He's a 6 year old Appalachian brumby gelding.
• He is getting a mixture of hay stretcher and sweet feed.
• I pay Michelle Martiya to work with me and Swagger virtually. She is an amazing animal trainer!
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