Equinophobia
Encyclopedia
Equinophobia or hippophobia is a psychological fear of horse
s, derived from the Greek word 'Phobos', meaning fear
and the Latin word 'Equus', meaning horse
. The term hippophobia is also derived from the Greek word 'Phobos' and the prefix is derived from the Greek word for horse, 'Hippos'.
An example of the phobia can be found in Freud's psychoanalytic study of Little Hans.
. This focuses on gradually acclimating patients to their phobias. The first step in this process may involve thinking about horses. The second step may be looking at pictures of horses. Once the patient gets comfortable with the images, they may proceed to meeting a horse, touching a horse, and finally riding a horse. For extreme cases, it may also be necessary to use medication, even though its effects are only short term.
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s, derived from the Greek word 'Phobos', meaning fear
Fear
Fear is a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger...
and the Latin word 'Equus', meaning horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
. The term hippophobia is also derived from the Greek word 'Phobos' and the prefix is derived from the Greek word for horse, 'Hippos'.
An example of the phobia can be found in Freud's psychoanalytic study of Little Hans.
Symptoms of Equinophobia
The following symptoms can be exhibited when a person suffering from Equinophobia either thinks of a horse or is physically near them:- Feeling of terror
- Anxiety(even if the horse is calm)
- Trembling
- Panic
- Palpitations
- Shortness of breath
- Sudden increase in pulse rate
- Nausea
Causes of Equinophobia
Negative experiences with horses during one's childhood may give rise to this phobia.Many times, after being kicked off a horse, people avoid them and gradually, this develops from fear to a full blown phobia.Treatment
Many treatment options are available for those suffering from it. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one form of therapy for people who suffer from certain phobias. It focuses on one's fears and the reason they exist. It tries to change and challenge the thought processes behind one's fear. Studies have shown that it has been effective in treating people with Equinophobia. Another treatment option is Systematic desensitizationSystematic desensitization
Systematic desensitization is a type of behavioral therapy used in the field of psychology to help effectively overcome phobias and other anxiety disorders. More specifically, it is a type of Pavlovian therapy / classical conditioning therapy developed by a South African psychiatrist, Joseph Wolpe...
. This focuses on gradually acclimating patients to their phobias. The first step in this process may involve thinking about horses. The second step may be looking at pictures of horses. Once the patient gets comfortable with the images, they may proceed to meeting a horse, touching a horse, and finally riding a horse. For extreme cases, it may also be necessary to use medication, even though its effects are only short term.