Horse Meaning and Symbolism

Horse Symbolisms According to Color

White Horse: Believed to have been ridden by valiant knights, it stands for vitality, illumination, resurrection, and also daytime.

Black Horse: Symbolizes independence, mystery, sexual desire, death, and night.

Chestnut Horse: Embodies loyalty, friendship, and devotion.

Golden Horse: Representative of a happy and affectionate nature, it epitomizes warmth.

Gray Horse: Symbolizes stability, patience, and wisdom.

Having a Horse as Your Spirit Animal (Totem Animal)

To have a horse as your totem animal means you have a victorious spirit – a strong driving force that makes you strive to win in any competition.

You are determined and rely on yourself to confront and overcome all obstacles in life. You value greatly everything that you have achieved.

Just as a horse enjoys being with its company, you too are friendly and express yourself freely in social settings. You are also loyal to those you love.

You look out for inner spiritual power to explore new horizons with an adventurous zeal and freedom is what you cherish most.

You understand the balance to maintain in life and know when it’s time to give priority to your responsibilities and when to let your instincts take charge.

You are true to yourself and others, being caring and compassionate for those in your life.

What Does it Mean When You Dream About Horses

Dreams about horses may either reflect your characteristic trait or point at some occurrence in your life.

A dream of riding a horse can be interpreted as referring to your high ambitions, suggesting that your projects will complete successfully. If you cannot control the horse in your dream, it means that you need to express yourself more carefully, while dreaming of a horse strongly attached to its reins is an indication to analyze what’s holding you back from expressing emotionally.

A dream of wild horses may either point at your dominating sexual motives or your desperate urge to break away from the constraints of your life. If you see horses galloping, it is a clear message that freedom is your top priority and neither responsibility nor commitment can hold you back.

Seeing yourself falling off a horse refers to your nervousness regarding a project or a scheduled event.

If you see yourself feeding or petting a horse, it means that you’d be busy taking proper care of your near and dear ones.

A horse in a barn implies that a prosperous life awaits you.

If you see a horse escaping, it can be a warning to become aware of your enemies.

Dreams of flying or winged horses reflect your soul’s ability to heal itself.

A horse giving birth can stand for love and unity in a family.

Catching a horse indicates the improvements you would encounter in your business. And if you are saving the horse, it may stand for a new direction, convenience, and brotherhood in your life.

To dream of a talking horse is an indication that you’d receive a message from your instinctive self.

A two-headed horse symbolizes two equally captivating decisions in your life that are yet to be made.

Seeing a horse biting you means that you soon get a promotion, or see some new success.

Seeing a horse race in your dream suggests that you should take risks in your life to move forward. Betting horses is also an indication of your taking risks, but it entails the probability that you might fail. A jumping horse, on the other hand, may indicate your need to take fewer risks in life.

During pregnancy, having a dream about a horse running or racing is believed to indicate that your unborn baby will gain fame and respect throughout the world in future.

A dead horse stands for significant loss of motivation or energy that might lead to depression or sickness.

Seeing a horse drowning signifies the need for you to deal with your emotions and depression so you can move ahead in life. In Islamic interpretation, however, it may indicate some upcoming illness.

A sick or dying horse may signal some approaching difficulties.

Killing a horse in your dream points at your selfishness that may make you hurt someone close.

A dream of horseshoes suggests that luck is on your way and it ushers refreshing possibilities in your physical, emotional or professional life.

Dream Interpretations for Different Colored Horses

A brown horse is believed to indicate you will face problems in some new place you are to visit.

A black or a dark horse means that there are dark recesses of your mind you seldom reveal. It may also point at your uncertainty and anxiousness about the way things might turn out in future.

A white horse in a dream represents your spiritual awareness and stands for happiness and prosperity that you are facing or would face in future. If the horse is running or chasing you, then it signifies your chastity.

A dream about a red horse suggests that there are certain factors that you do not want to face at present.

Talking to a blue horse may indicate you are going to receive some bad news, or experience a sad event.

Spiritual Meaning and Symbolism of Horses in Different Cultures and Religions

In Bible and Christianity

A horse generally embodies intelligence in the Bible. However, it may also have varied symbolisms by its color. For instance, a white horse represents victory, while a black horse stands for death and destruction.

Celtic Mythology

The Celt’s associated horses with war since they served as harbingers of good luck. They also linked them with Gods like Epona and Macha, both of whom appear as horses and protect the earth. Another God with whom the Celts associate a horse is Rhiannon who governs fertility, riding a pale horse.

Native American Culture

Horses, highly respected for embodying power, success and authority are referred to as “god dogs” by the American tribes. Since many battles were won by tribes that possessed horses, they were eventually seen as embodying wars. Many illustrations depicting Shamans on the back of flying horses hint at the power of the animal in triumphing over all odds.

Greek Culture

In Greek mythology, “Pegasus” is a flying horse that is supposed to have created the fountain Hippocrene on Mt Helicon, Greece.

Greco-Roman Culture

According to their myth, a horse is supposed to have been created by Poseidon and is dedicated to Hades (Pluto) and Ares (Mars).

 Indian Culture

Hindu mythology abounds in horse symbolisms. The Sun God, “Surya” is believed to travel across the sky on seven horses. In the Upanishad “Brihadaranyaka”, a horse is associated with “Varuna”, and a white horse is specifically regarded as Lord Vishnu’s last incarnation.

Chinese Culture

One of Chinese zodiac symbols, a horse is linked with Gemini and symbolizes love, devotion, practicality, and stability.

Japanese Culture

The seventh symbol in the Japanese zodiac, a horse, represents life for having a sturdy body. Long served man in his different endeavors, it also embodies openness and liveliness.