One Hundred and Four Horses

One Hundred and Four Horses – Mandy Retzlaff

Mandy Retzlaff and her husband, Jamie, built a happy life on their farm in Zimbabwe, raising their children and caring for their animals. But in the early 2000s, during a period of violent land seizures targeting white-owned farms, they were forced from their home. Their story did not end there.

In One Hundred and Four Horses: A Memoir of Farm and Family, Africa and Exile, Retzlaff tells the remarkable story of how, as the family moved from farm to farm, they rescued horses abandoned by other farmers who had been driven off their land. Determined not to leave the animals behind, they kept gathering more horses, until the herd numbered over a hundred.

The memoir describes the family’s struggle to keep the horses safe and fed in a country in turmoil, the dangers and uncertainty they faced, and the bonds they formed with the animals, each with its own personality. Eventually, they undertook an extraordinary journey to lead the herd across the border into Mozambique in search of a new home.

Retzlaff writes about love, loss, courage and resilience, and about the healing power of the connection between people and horses. She also reflects on the land and the country she loved, and the pain of exile.

Moving and dramatic, One Hundred and Four Horses is a compelling read for horse lovers, animal lovers and readers of memoirs about Africa, family and survival. The book reflects the author’s personal experience of a complex and contested period in Zimbabwe’s history, and it includes scenes of violence and distress.