Fear of Horses: Equinophobia

A fear of horses is called Equinophobia. It may seem strange to some people how others could have a phobia of horses. However, horses are very powerful animals and usually people with a fear of horses had a bad experience with one at some point in their lives.

 Most people develop phobias when they are children as children can frighten more easily than adults. However, because a serious injury with a horse can happen just as easily with adults as children, it is not too uncommon for adults to develop a fear of horses. All it takes is someone falling off a horse and hurting themselves to trigger a phobia. Any source of pain is often tied to phobias. People can also learn to be afraid of horses from a parent if they have a phobia.

Many injuries or bad experiences with horses is usually not directly the horses’ fault. Most horses are not aggressive. They are just big and powerful and if someone inexperienced does not know how to correctly ride or handle animals that big, injury is not hard to happen. Even experienced riders can have bad luck and get hurt. Horses accidentally step on people’s toes or can get spooked while people are riding them and suddenly take off running. There is always a risk when working with such large animals. Occasionally, you can get horses with a grumpy side. Some horses have been known to bite and kick. But this sadly is often the result of the horse being mistreated or neglected at some point in its life.

There are few animals that have helped humanity more than horses, only dogs might be comparable. Horses progressed humans to where we are now, being a main means of transportation and workforce for thousands of years. Horses have also bravely given up their lives in countless wars through the ages for our sakes.  They trust their owners and serve their duty, even if it means leading them to their deaths. Building compassion and respect for horses is not too difficult once looking at their incredible history with us.

Many people with a phobia of horses once used to love horses but sadly because of a bad experience now fear them. At Creature Courage we can help change that and build up confidence and fascination to find a new passion for horses again. Horses do not have to be a creature to be avoided but embraced as a wonderful experience. Spending time with horses and riding them is incredibly therapeutic. Plus, though we do not use horses in the same way as we did in the past, it is still pretty common to see them around. Maybe not so much in the cities but most countrysides have horses! It is a shame to restrict where you might go and what you might do because of a fear of horses.

 So instead of a symbol of fear, horses can be respected as a brave and noble beast. Get in touch with us today if you would like life-changing therapy to get over your fear of horses for good!