Dequiqa

How is it one day it was worth paying to transfer you from Africa to Belgium and then to Tenerife but now you are not considered worthy of the cost of food?

The sad answer is she is now “worthless” and old. Gone are the days in which she would compete and fly across the countryside bringing 1 st place for her master. Gone are the days in which she can produce top quality registered foals. She is now no longer considered worth the paper her full passport and “great bloodline” is printed on.
This has to be the type of story I find the saddest here, but then again every story is sad; working with abandoned and mistreated horses is never going to be happy. Usually we deal with ignorant or nasty people, but sometimes knowing a horse has done its duties, once was fed and cared for (although it surely wouldt be my idea of top care, but I am aware that the more natural way is still a long way off from being the norm) in a way which is considered luxury for that owner. Paying for food, paying for vet bills, full vaccinations etc. these owners, unlike some, know how to care for a horse, they just choose not to do it any longer because the horse can no longer provide them with what they consider worthy of food and basic care.
Poor Dequiqa came to us just in the knick of time. Her bright chestnut skin is the only thing holding her bones and amazing spirit together. As I walked her down the ramp she dragged me over to every horse holding her tail high with true Chestnut Arab mare style. Strutting herself as if she was a youngster slipping down the ramp on her two back legs and nearly taking me with her. Yet, even this didn’t slow her down because she intended to enter with style and every horse on the finca noticed. However, the drama passed within minutes as she recognised the calmness of her new environment. She immediately bonded with our other resident old boy Turbo. Both are 29 years old, they hit it off and apparently like to bond over their almost identical paths to arrive here. They now could talk to each other and swear about the human race! They should hate us! However, these two do not, they love every single human, particularly Deq, she LOVES us. As soon as you walk into the paddock she wants a cuddle, if you dare stop she will follow you until you start again.

The pictures really don’t do her justice, they don’t show the points in which her poor skin is about to burst open, they don’t show the unusual leg movements she does to get temporary relief from her overused girly parts, they don’t show the fibers trying to stop her undernourished feet from crumbling and most of all it doesn’t show her beautiful personality. We don’t know her full history, we never will and probably wouldn’t want to. We only know what is written on her papers and a small amount from the man who got her to us, it is truly amazing how many miles this girl has done. Born in Tunisia before going to stay in Belgium for a short time, then with the same owner back to Tunisia. Something happened and she went back to Belgium, which is where she stayed until 2004 when she made her way to this island. We will hopefully over time get to put together some more information of her time in Tenerife, usually with the help of kind supporters who have seen a horse around. It’s a small island after all and she has been here a long time. Her beauty and unusual name are also something to remember her by. Either way it doesn’t matter, this is the past but now we are fully responsible of her future. We have just started working with the vets on her rehabilitation, it’s early days but her spark will get her through it. We don’t know if she will ever look fit and healthy, we don’t know how long she has with us; we don’t even know the extent of her problems yet. What we do know is she is now happy spending her days in her private honeymoon paddock with her old boyfriend, ad lib hay, munching and relaxing until the day comes, if and when where she can enjoy going for a in-hand walk with the volunteers and Turbo, stretch the little legs and see the surrounding land. Whatever happens, whether this is an option, we can however guarantee we will listen closely to her, to want she wants, what she needs and what she enjoys.

If you would like to sponsor Dequiqa you can do so directly through Patreon. On this platform you will get regular updates and behind the scenes working with her through everything, the good, the bad and the ugly. Tenerife horse rescue Patreon
Or if you would like to do a one off donation you can do so through the options on our How to Help page.
Thank you so much for your support with this special mare, her story would not be here if it wasn’t for people like you!