The
fear of
undead or
reanimated horses would more probably actually be called
equikinemortophobia. Whilst such a phobia may seem niche or even fantastical, it is easy to imagine sufferers reporting genuine
mental distress whenever exposed to imagery, stories, or indeed the very concept of horses returning from the dead. Fictional depictions of equine zombies do, at least, exist in folklore, horror literature, films, television, and video games. The original
Ghost Rider movie starring
Nicolas Cage had
one gamely ridden by
Sam Elliott. A fear by this name could be regarded as a
subtype of both kinemortophobia (fear of the undead) and equinophobia (fear of horses). An alternate name might be
hippokinemortophobia, but we live in a society which his become so accustomed to the modern association of "hippo" with the
hippopotamus that such a word might be mistaken to mean fear of undead hippopotami.
If there are actual sufferers of equikinemortophobia, this condition surely would have had its origins in ancient
mythology or cultural
narratives wherein horses were not just revered as
noble beasts, but occasionally depicted as
supernatural steeds rising from the embrace of the
grave, perhaps to accompany
ghost-like warriors, or as cursed, reanimated creatures in the service of
dark magic, neighing BLAAAAIGH AM THE
KRAKEN FROM THE SEA!!
A quick trip for Live Deliciously: The 2024 Halloween Horrorquest