Fandango’s Flashback Friday

09.01.2026 

The Mare Who Chose Us

Our youngest daughter spent afternoons helping a friend with her horse.
That’s where she saw her — a skinny, neglected mare standing alone.
And the mare saw her.
Something passed between them instantly.
Recognition. Longing. Connection.
The mare was starving — not just for food, but for gentleness and trust.
My daughter gave her that.
And in return, the mare gave her heart.
We bought her for a small fee, but it never felt like a transaction.
It felt like she chose us.
We named her Ceniza — Ash.

I worked with her every day using Reiki, slowly, gently, letting her trauma unwind.
Her eyes softened.
Her breath deepened.
Something in her healed — and something in me awakened.
Our finca slowly became a sanctuary, not just for us, but for the animals who found their way to us.
In 2019, another mare arrived — Estrella, thin and exhausted, a young mother barely surviving.
Within days, she and Ceniza bonded like sisters.
They healed together.
So did we.

During lockdown in 2020, while the world fell silent and fear lived close to home, the horses became our anchor.
Daily routines. Sunlight. Breath. Presence.
They carried us through.

On June 11th, 2020, Ceniza broke her leg.
There was no cure.
Only love.
We knelt beside her — my daughters, my husband, Estrella, and me — hands on her warm face, whispering safety and gratitude.
She did not die alone.
As she passed, the air shifted.
A soft swirl of wind moved around us — calm, present, blessing-like.
And Estrella cried out.
Horses grieve. They know.
Ceniza left this world in the middle of lockdown,
but she did not leave in fear or darkness.
She left held.
She left loved.

For readers who wish to go deeper
This story is part of my Canary Islands series, where I write about the land, the animals, and the healing paths that found us.
🔗 Chapter Fourteen — The Finca, the Mare, and the Mountain
https://magz70-qytix.wordpress.com/2025/11/30/chapter-fourteen-the-finca-the-mare-and-the-mountain/

🔗 Chapter Sixteen — The Animals Who Found Us
https://magz70-qytix.wordpress.com/2025/12/04/%f0%9f%8c%bfchapter-sixteen-the-animals-who-found-us/

💫Maggie

The Afterlove Voice 💫