If you arrive in the small coastal town of Vilankulo and take a walk along the beach you will no doubt come across some horses in the water. You will probably notice a small crowd gathering and people being lifted on their backs to join their guide in the warm Indian Ocean for a swim. Many people do not know the history of the horses but when told are always fascinated by the story. Due to the political conflict in Zimbabwe Pat and Mandy Retzlaff lived through the terror of the land invasions orchestrated by the political elite in defiance to an opposition party that was becoming popular. The account of the struggle and how the family survived eventually crossing a border into Mozambique with 104 horses is depicted in her best-selling memoir 104 Horses.
In 2006 broke and but not beaten Pat brought the first 7 horses to Vilankulo in the hope of starting a horse safari while Mandy stayed in the town of Chimoio with the rest of the herd trying to make a living out of riding lessons. Vilankulo had its own international airport and was the gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago a renowned tourist destination. Pat thought it would be perfect to start beach rides along Chibuene beach which has breathtaking views. Things started to go very well and soon Pat had hotels booking rides for guests and Mozambique Horse Safari was launched.
Sadly in 2007 the cyclone hit Vilankulo and the damage to property put everything on hold for a year. In 2008 things picked up and we have been in Vilankulo ever since. People travel from all over the world to Vilankulo and the horses have become a well-known activity. We have been through hard times and good times and Mozambique is not an easy country to negotiate but we are still here with our beloved horses and really hope that we make it through this year as there has been such a down turn in tourism. Our horses mean everything to us. We saved them and in the end they have saved us.
