
Nina Bergström
Innovator
Taikun Tähdet
Finland
Social
Farming
Rural village
The innovation journey
Nina Bergström is the founder of Taikun Tähdet (Taikku’s Stars) that offers empowering and rehabilitating animal assisted wellbeing services for both children and adults. Nina moved to Urjala with her husband almost 10 years ago after buying a horse farm there. By chance, Nina heard a lecture on MinD (empowering equine assisted activities) during a horse fair. Unsatisfied with her job at that time and being on maternity leave, she immediately knew this was what she wanted to do, as it would allow her to combine her will to help people with her passion for horses and animals in general. Nina took a year-long MinD training course and trained her horses for therapeutic work. She established her trade name in 2020. Behind her business name is her profound experience with a late mare horse, Tähti-Taikku, who, Nina feels, taught her the true power of having a strong connection with an animal.
Nina started by offering forest trips with horses for children with neuropsychiatric challenges. This led her to train in neuropsychiatric coaching. Over the years, both the number of different animals on the farm and the variety of offered services grew. At present, Taikun Tähdet offers group activities aimed at “tired moms” and youth, neuropsychiatric coaching, as well as pony clubs, forest trips, horse camps, and mindful riding. All activities are based on being mindfully present with the farm’s animals. Every Now and then, she visits Tallipiha (Stable Yards), an outside shopping center in Tampere, with some of her horses and other animals, and offers activities to advertise her business.
The innovation impact
Nina is offering new therapeutic and well-being services with encouraging results. She was the first to target tired mothers for empowering group activities. She has two people working as helpers and she cooperates with various horse wellbeing and mindful riding experts. In addition, Nina has established a Walking with Horses group, where local people can come spend time with her horses in exchange for occasional voluntary help.