Horses and women have always shared a bond. Why else do little girls plaster their schoolbooks with pony pictures? Why do women spend weekends devotedly mucking out paddocks? Or willingly go out in public wearing tight, unforgiving, pale jodhpurs? How is it that otherwise fastidious females cheerfully fill their cars with hay, their nails with dirt and their boots with mud, while turning out gleaming horses, with barely a tail-hair out of place? It seems that in days when urban sprawl is overtaking paddocks and trails, and country life seems so far away, little girls (and big ones!) still dream of horses.

HorseDreams explores the beautiful, intense and often funny relationships between women and horses – creatures that carry their female friends through life, offering strong, silent companionship, and the chance to escape, if only in their imagination. Humour, devotion, warmth and enthusiasm shine through tales of scruffy childhood ponies, sleek brave thoroughbreds and even the occasional donkey, seahorse or carousel steed.

Contributors include: Marge Piercy, Caroline Taylor, Rebecca Gorman, Jenny Barnes, Di Gatehouse, Julie Copeland, Tatyana Mamonova, Pat Hodgell.

‘Such entertainment and inspiration make this a great gift or bedtime story favourite for all who love horses.’ —Lana Best, The Examiner

‘Whether you are horsey or not, you will find something to interest and enchant you in this collection.’ —Nina Valentine, Ballarat Courier

‘A beautiful coffee-table book full of photographs and horsey obsession.’ —Emma Whale, Hawkesbury Independent
‘This is a beautiful book for women who love riding and caring for horses, and for all those others who can only dream of the joy of having a horse in their life.’ —Readings Summer Reading Guide

Pictures from the Launch held in Melbourne
Reviews

ISBN 1876756470 Territories World All rights:Spinifex Press