Demelza Franssen
Tralee, Co. Kerry
Covering Southern and Northern Ireland
+353 858 536 812 or
demelza.whispering@gmail.com
About Demelza…
Watch this space…
Q&A with IH Trainer Demelza Franssen
(The Intelligent Horsemanship Magazine)
Why did you decide to qualify as a Recommended Trainer?
I really wanted to work with the misunderstood equines in a compassionate way and make it my career, and at the time, there was only one RT in Ireland and he was at the other end of the west coast to me. It seemed to me that there would be plenty of work to keep me busy.
What’s important to you when you see an owner and their horse for the first time?
I always want to see them with their horse and just observe their interaction together so that I can get a feel and understanding of their relationship.
What are the common challenges you face in your work as an RT?
Lack of about what IH is and stands for. Quite a few people, especially friends of the owner and other yard members, really expect just a ‘quick fix’ and seem genuinely surprised that there isn’t a set prescription for each problem! The owner is always prepared to put in the homework but I often have to also help and support them with the discouragement and negativity they hear from others.
What are your plans for the future?
My partner and I are hoping to purchase a small holding of our own this year, fingers crossed! A small yard with a bit of land would allow me to take in a few horses again, and I would dearly love to help out equine charities with the really hard to handle cases, the untouched and the mis-treated.
I would love to become a fully operational RT again!
IH Trainer Demelza Franssen is based in Tralle, Co.Kerry, Ireland.