Our Story
About us
Two Journeys. One Philosophy.
Forsmanship is the result of a shared lifetime with horses, built on experience, curiosity, and a commitment to understanding the horse rather than simply training it.
UNDERSTANDING
EXPERIENCE
feel
Founder & Trainer
stefan forsman
Stefan Forsman was born in Sweden in 1962 and began training horses professionally at the age of fourteen. His early years followed traditional methods, but experience, and the injuries and problems that came with them, led him to question the way horses were being trained. He began asking a fundamental question: why should communication with a horse depend on force? His search for answers took him around the world, working with horses in Australia, USA and Canada. He trained wild stock horses and worked in ranch environments where calmness, reliability, and sound judgement were essential. His experience also extends to harness racing, dressage, working equitation, jumping, rehabilitation, and the everyday challenges of horses and riders. Over more than four decades, Stefan developed a way of working based on understanding how the horse perceives the world. This became the foundation of Forsmanship, a philosophy and method centered on clear communication, timing, trust, and the psychology of the horse. Today Stefan teaches internationally, helping riders develop a deeper understanding of their horses and create partnerships based on confidence, clarity, and mutual understanding.
Instructor, Trainer & Tack Designer
silvia facchin
Silvia Facchin was born in Italy in 1970 and discovered her passion for horses at the age of eight. Her journey began with riding in France and later developed into a deep involvement with Western riding, Reining and Cutting. In 1990 she moved to Canada to work alongside François Gauthier, a highly accomplished Reining trainer, NRHA and AQHA Champion, and FEI Silver Medalist. She later moved to Texas, working as an assistant trainer and breeding manager, before establishing her own ranch in Oklahoma. There Silvia bred, raised, and trained Quarter Horses for Reining and Cutting, gaining practical experience in demanding environments, including working Cutting horses with American bison. Her career has also taken her into teaching and equipment design. As a certified Western riding instructor, she has taught riders across Europe and developed a deep understanding of how equipment can either support or interfere with communication. At Forsmanship, Silvia works alongside Stefan in the daily training of horses and riders, clinics, and the development of the Forsmanship tack line. Her experience in training, teaching, breeding, and equipment design brings another dimension to the approach: making subtle communication possible through both the hands of the rider and the equipment they use.
