The blacked-out, empty husks of what must have been Shahama’s shopping arcade hardly scream a warm welcome, and as we whiz out towards the Tulip Inn, a small amount of trepidation creeps in. Tina Al Qubaisi sounds like a warm and friendly hostess on the phone, but heading this far from civilization, well, we might as well be searching for Kurtz.
After half an hour heading the wrong way into the wilderness, the phone blips and Tina tells us she’s spotted a vehicle in the vicinity which she assumes is ours. It says a lot about the area that a single car can trigger recognition – this is a quiet part of the UAE. Her son welcomes us at the farm gates, introduces us to a couple of lounging camels, and leads us to his sister, who, in turn, guides us to Tina: a family business, obviously.
Tina is a jolly woman, out of action this afternoon, laid up on stilts (‘probably best not to ask,’ explains a friend). She’s been in the UAE for 15 years, running the equestrian club for the last two. Originally from Elsemere Port, a small town in the North West of England, she’s as homely as they come, and the small observation area she invites us into is constantly buzzing with friends and family, some helping, others just enjoying the palpable calm that hangs over the farm. There are also a handful of happy customers. A young woman canters a beautiful horse around the large paddock, while her son does a series of mount-based balancing exercises in a neighbouring enclosure.
With Tina injured, It’s down to the club’s fitness instructor, Claire, to offer the guided tour. We wonder what kind of clientele the club enjoys. ‘She’s got a really good mix,’ Claire explains. ‘It’s really nice to be here in the mornings, when all the mums have done their school runs and come up here for a couple of hours. Then, from 4:30 onwards, all the children start arriving. At this time of year it’s perfect because it’s a lovely temperature at that time of day.’ Claire has been on the farm since the New Year, operating a fitness club out of the majlis. She’s a big fan of Pilates, perhaps the only exercise regime to have been developed by captives in a prisoner of war camp. ‘It’s not for the feint of heart,’ she laughs, ‘but I try and keep them smiling, just incase anyone’s having a look around.’
Tina’s youngest daughter Sara joins the tour as we enter the stables. She’s been riding for a couple of years, having caught the horse bug from her equestri-mad mother. The horses she introduces us to are part of a family of 34 currently living on the farm. Some have been bought in, but many of them are lucky participants in Tina’s rescue programme, which has fast become a major part of the business.
‘If it’s got a pulse, it’s coming in,’ Claire tells us with a cheeky smile. Tina began her rescue operations when she came across a sorry-looking horse roaming the streets of Bahiya. With a little detective work, she located the owner, who refused to release the horse without payment. Harley, as the animal became known, eventually found his way to the farm, but he was beyond help and Tina eventually made the hard decision to put him to sleep. Undaunted, she kept an eye open for other animals in need and has since developed a glowing reputation for her shelter work.
Many of the rehabilitated horses find work in the riding school where they clearly thrive on the attention from their grooms and the children alike. With a growing population of camels, horses and goats, the farm has become a merry little petting zoo – Time Out’s five-year-old son had a whale of a time (the full-sized bouncy castle proved almost as popular as the animals themselves). A planned coffee shop will complete the experience, making this a great place for young families to spend their mornings. It’s an expensive business, though, and Tina is keen to recruit assistance, whether you’re there mucking out or buying the occasional bag of carrots. She’d be happy to hear from you anytime.
Before we leave, she insists we take a ride. It’s been about fifteen years and 30 gained kilograms since Time Out last rode a horse, but – to our instructor’s credit – we’re trotting around the paddock within ten minutes, keen to get out on one of the desert treks the club regularly organises. The years peel away, and we’re soon riding unaided, though we need some walking assistance once we dismount, and our groin feels as though its been pummeled in all the wrong places.
For info on desert treks, beach rides, fitness classes, riding lessons and animal rescue please call Tina on 050 662 0969.
