«Love Is Blind: A Life with Horses» by Red Catherine

This is the journey of one woman's life with horses. Catherine is a Romani woman, a Gypsy, and recognised her first horses around the age of two and now at seventy, she still has horses in her life. One of those horses is Samio, her big blind 18-hand Clydesdale. Catherine has, she thinks, just stopped rescuing horses; seven still share her life. Although she no longer rides, she still drives horses and her passion and love has never wavered. Having broken her neck and back in a horse accident at 16, she was told she would never ride again. It took her two years to walk and five years before she went back in the saddle but never again to ride wild or jump. Catherine lived on the road for the first 11 years of her life. There are some 25,000 Romani in Australia but to her knowledge, she is the only Gypsy who still travels in the bow top caravan, the vardo. No longer on the road full-time, she tries to travel when she can; always speaking for the animals of Earth. This is a book of love and passion for the horse, told by a storyteller who lives the story and walks her talk with laughter as she says, &quote;Shit happens, just empty out your suitcases and plant flowers in the compost.&quote; After a brain tumour and radiation, nothing seems to stop her and her love and activism for the animals of Earth — especially the horse and dog — shines bright and her enthusiasm for life and rescuing animals keeps her fit and healthy. Hers is a remarkable story.