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Finding Stefan Forsman ... a new generation in Scandinavia wakes up to the horseman's knowledge

Beate Heyn found long lasting answers to her horse problems 20 years ago from Stefan Forsman. Now her daughter, Ylva, has become a follower ...
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Like mother, like daughter, 14 year old Ylva (pictured centre) followed in the footsteps of her mother Beate (left) and found Forsmanship and the opportunity to study and train with Stefan Forsman on a recent foundation course educational. Photo by Hanne Kringstad

Ylva Heyn Friberg of Norway is only 14 years old but she did her own research on Stefan Forsman and decided that she wanted to learn from one of the best horse trainers in the world.
The decision came as no surprise to Ylva’s mother, Beate Kristen Heyn who studied herself with Stefan 20 years ago.

Beate tells Horseman Forsman News that her daughter’s goal to study with the trainer was self-driven.

Ylva’s commitment to her horse of two years - Roy - says Beate, is 100% and she proved this by choosing to work and save up herself to attend a foundation course with Stefan. She finally got to meet him in April to start learning more about the Forsmanship method.

“I am really happy that my daughter has found this training,” says Beate.”

Her daughter, she says, has not been disappointed with her decision to study with Stefan.

“She said to me: Mama, I really like him. He is clear, tough but right to the point.”

Beate agrees. She says she remembers her own experience with Forsmanship education in the 1980s when she took her own horse, Seducer, to Stefan. It was an emergency situation, she says.

“Seducer was an ex trotter, a four year old. He was very sensitive, he had a lot of stress, he was frightened, very hard to handle and very dangerous too. He was known to jump a car. He was very unsafe to be around. He could of run you down,” says Beate.

Sadly also, Seducer became depressed and it got to the point that he didn’t even want to eat, she says.

Eventually, a friend led Beate to Stefan Forsman, who by this time had become well known in Sweden for his excellent results with problem horses, and especially with horses who had been handled incorrectly.

“At the time, I didn’t know what to do but I was prepared to find out what I could do for my horse,” says Beate.

I felt so sorry for him - so I took him from Norway to Sweden to Stefan’s stables where he stayed for 2 months. During that time, I also learnt a lot about myself. I really didn’t know what to do but I could see he could handle a horse better than me.”

At first, Beate admits that she was resistant to the changes that Stefan was asking her to make - in the way that she behaved and handled her horse.

“I didn’t like it but I liked the results. I remember that Stefan was tougher with students in those days but he was always fair. Today, I would just say to people to forget that and just learn - because Stefan is a magician.”

“He’s there for the horses and that’s his gift. He’s there for healing horses. People can find someone else to heal them.”“What he teaches you is self-awareness ... of how you are behaving around a horse. If you are not calm, if you are impatient.”

“Training with Stefan, I learnt how to have peace with my horse. To do that, I knew I had to change. I learnt how to be connected, and how to provide an open door for him to go through.”

Stefan, she said, helped her to develop within herself to achieve these outcomes. And this centred on Beate finding that deep connection with Seducer herself, so that he could begin to trust her and heal.

“I like Stefan because he is about finding harmony with horses. I absolutely agree with his methods.”“The experience was important for Seducer but it was also very good for me. In many ways, it has affected my whole life ... in a good way.”

“I have learnt that there is a power that works with us and also within us. I have learnt how to be calm and determined. It is like instant karma in practice and I really love it, it is beautiful.”

Even her daughter, says Beate, has identified this aspect of the work after doing the course with Stefan.

“She says to me: it’s like living from your heart, and not what’s expected of you. She is very mature for her age in the way she thinks.”

Significantly, tapping into the healing power of horses has been very much welcomed by Beate and her daughter. The arrival of Ylva’s horse Roy, gave mother and daughter an opportunity to focus on horse rearing and care together, after losing Ylva’s father, five years ago.

Beate says that Ylva found Roy over the internet and she connected with him instantly.

“He became her big brother on four legs,” say Beate. After my own training with Stefan, I wanted to make sure that my daughter’s horse would be mostly problem free and safe to be around.”

Thankfully, he is. Ylva actually chose very well, says Beate.

“Roy has issues of his own but they are very small ... and he loves my daughter.”

Following the practices of what she learnt with Stefan, Beate says that she began by educating her daughter herself, so that she would understand the importance of finding that connection and harmony with Roy, which she herself learnt from Stefan.

Ylva has learnt to handle him well, says Beate, and most importantly ”I know that she is safe with him.” He has been trained to be calm and focused near moving traffic, for example, and he has never left her to take off, if she takes a fall, says Beate.

“My daughter also knows a lot about following her own soul, which I admire in her too. She also understands that you have to have a spine to own and ride a horse.”


Finally, we asked Beate about what happened to her own loved horse, Seducer. She says that she had him for another 10 happy years after sending him to Stefan. Unfortunately, though, Seducer fell sick says Beate, and he had to be laid to rest. That was a sad time, she says.

”That horse gave me a lot of healing. I loved him like a human.”

Her memory, though, of a horse finally healed and content after years of being unhappy and out of control, is a good one. The fact that Seducer became a happy horse will remain with her forever.

Forsmanship training programs in 2015
-
- Foundation Course in Nittedal in Norway in June
- Foundation Course in Norra Bohuslän in Sweden in June-July
- Foundation Course in Eggedal in Buskerud, Norway in July
- Foundation Course in Hallabro near Ronneby in Southern Sweden in August.



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