What does it mean if you dream about a horse or horses? Of course, dreams are personal to each dreamer. And the meaning of a dream can vary depending on what’s going on in your life at a given moment as well as your personal experiences and beliefs.
However, there are some commonly-shared symbols and themes that are characteristic of horses, which can play into what your dream is telling you. Being familiar with these concepts may give you some added insights.
Also, remember to pay attention to the emotions you felt in your dream, as one thing we all have in common is that our subconscious emotions don’t lie to us.
In this blog post, we’ll explore all aspects of what dreaming about a horse (or horses) can mean.
Table of Contents
Before we go into more detail on certain types of horse dreams, I thought you might be interested in a list of some common themes when it comes to dreams about horses. Depending on the context of your dream, one or more of these qualities might give you some insights into what your dream is telling you.
After reading some of these common types of horse dreams, you might apply some of these qualities to your own dream as well.
From a biblical perspective, a horse in a dream can have a few different meanings, depending on the context and details of your dream. Just as divine energy is manifested in all living things, in the Bible, God manifests his energy in horses in a few different passages.
In general, in the Bible, horses symbolize strength, power, and glory.1 For example, horses were often depicted in war and battles. And in the book of Revelation, there are four horses who are ridden by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Each of the horsemen rides a different color horse, which represents four aspects of the end of times. One rides a white horse, which symbolizes Christ. (Or some interpretations say the rider is the anti-Christ.) The second rides a red horse, which symbolizes war and bloodshed. The third rides a black horse, which symbolizes famine. And the fourth rides a pale or gray horse, which symbolizes death.2
So, from a biblical perspective, an intense or anxious dream about horses can be a warning sign to be prepared for something serious coming your way rather than being laid back and relaxed.
In another example, in 2 Kings 2:11, the horse represents God’s acknowledgement or recognition for service. In this case, the prophet Elijah exits the Earth in a blaze of glory3:
“As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.”4
So, in this case, the horse dream meaning might be interpreted as you are getting credit for your faith or good work that you are doing.
Horses appear in other parts of the Bible as well. So, further study on those passages could bring added insights into horse dream meaning from a biblical perspective.
Dreaming about a brown horse can have a few different meanings depending on the context and details of your dream.
Brown is a natural and earthy color, which symbolizes a sense of security, stability, and comfort.
Types of horses who are brown include the chestnut, who is known for their kind and gentle nature, and the bay, who is known for their strength, grace, and versatility.
In general, brown horses are associated with hard work, determination, and a strong connection to the earth.
So, dreaming about a brown horse can be an affirmation of your strong connection to your roots and a desire for home and security.
It can also mean that you are working hard to achieve your goals. Often when we dream about animals, the animal represents an aspect of our own personality.
Dreaming of a brown can also mean that you crave simplicity, groundedness, and getting back to basics.
Furthermore, as can happen when we are sleeping and dreaming, you may have connected with another soul on the astral plane as you slept. This spirit may be a person who is alive or one of your angels. This can occur especially when you have vivid dreams, such as the kind that stick with you the following day.
Dreaming about a white horse can also have a range of meanings. In general, white horses are associated with purity, heroism, the triumph of good over evil, and a strong connection to the spiritual realm.
In addition, the color white represents purity, innocence, new beginnings, and the presence of angels.
So, dreaming of a white horse could mean that you want to be rescued in some area of your life. It can also be a validation that on a spiritual level, you are rescued, or protected.
The white horse dream might also mean that you are about to embark on something new.
In addition, your white horse dream meaning could indicate that you crave freedom and some way to create a legacy, whether it’s through family and other relationships or creative, social, or other work.
You might want to do further study of an iconic white horse, which is the mythical winged horse Pegasus from Greek mythology, who represents freedom, power, and immortality.
In addition, because the color white is so closely associated with spirituality and the divine, dreaming of a white horse can mean that your soul craves greater spiritual understanding and connection to your Higher Power.
Finally, as mentioned earlier, when you are sleeping and dreaming, you have the potential to connect with other souls on the astral plane. So, dreaming of a white horse can mean that you connected with a spirit or one of your angels. Often you can tell the difference between this type of dream and others because the dream stays with you the next day. It’s very vivid, beautiful, and impactful.
Dreaming of a black horse can indicate the qualities of mystery, rebellion, sophistication, beauty, wealth, sexuality, and transformation.
So, your black horse dream could mean that you have a subconscious desire to break from the herd and do something different.
In fact, there is a horse archetype called the dark horse. The term “dark horse” is used to describe a competitor in a contest whom few have heard about or are paying attention to but who unexpectedly wins. So, your black horse dream could mean that you desire to shake things up in some way.
A black horse dream could also represent the unexpected and unseen. So, there may be something you don’t know and your subconscious mind is urging you to do some psychological exploration. This could be as simple as looking for “greener pastures” in some area of your life.
Another interpretation of a black horse dream can be that you are craving more wealth, luxury, and sophistication in your life and your subconscious is working on ways to manifest this. You might also be connecting this with your sexuality. In other words, you want to feel more empowered in the physical and material aspects of your life.
Dreaming of riding a horse can represent a few things. To begin, it can indicate that you want a sense of control over your life and to be in a more powerful position.
In addition, riding a horse in a dream can mean that you desire more freedom and independence.
The horse in your dream can also represent that you are subconsciously or even consciously looking for ways to have an added advantage when it comes to dealing with life’s challenges and overcoming obstacles.
If the emotions you felt in your dream were positive, your dream most likely reveals that you feel confident that you can move forward and handle things with a level of determination.
However, if your emotions were negative or anxious, it could mean that you are still trying to find the discipline and level of control to rein yourself in so that you are more effective at creating the outcomes you desire.
If you dream that you’re riding a runaway horse, or a horse is running away from you, it can mean that you feel out of control in some way in your wakeful life.
In addition, as with the old saying, “The horse has left the barn,” your dream could mean that you feel like you’re falling behind in some way or you can’t keep up.
A runaway horse dream can also mean that you are experiencing or reliving a sense of rejection or abandonment by someone who, or something that, is important to you.
In fact, the dream may have nothing to do with the other person or situation. It might only reflect your own feelings of inadequacy or insecurity in a particular situation.
It can also mean that you have fears that you are repressing that are affecting you. So, it’s worth facing them and doing some healing work.
One thing to think about is practicing a visualization where you calmly call the horse and they come back to you.
As mentioned earlier, often animals in dreams will represent our own feelings about ourselves. As a powerful and energetic animal, the horse in your dream could also reflect that you feel that you are not directing your personal power and energy effectively in a way that will help you achieve what you want in life. In other words, you may not be living up to your potential. Again, visualization techniques may help you to get a handle on things.
Overall, dreaming about a runaway horse can be a sign that you need to pause, take a breath, and reassess what you want and how you’re going about getting it. There is an old expression that says you have to chase your dreams. However, sometimes if you sit calmly and quietly, they will find a way to come to you.
Dreaming of two horses together might represent two aspects of your personality, such as your rational, or analytical, side and your emotional side. Or, they can represent your conscious and subconscious minds. As well, the two horses could represent two aspects of your life, such as work and personal life, your significant other and your family, or family and friends.
So, if your dream was pleasant, it could mean that you feel whole and balanced. However, if it was anxious or sad, it could mean that you should do some work on balancing these aspects of your life.
Alternatively, the two horses could represent a relationship or partnership in your life. Depending on your dream, this could imply a healthy and compatible relationship or it could imply that you need to do some healing work to better understand your partner’s needs, as well as your own, and improve the dynamic.
Dreaming of a wild horse or a herd of mustangs can mean that you desire more freedom and independence or feel that your wilder side needs to be recognized and explored.
Alternatively, if the emotions you experienced in your dream were negative, it could mean that you feel impulsive or out of control in some way.
Dreaming of an injured horse can mean that you feel vulnerable in some aspect of your life or that you are worrying about someone you love who is fragile.
It could also mean that you are struggling with overcoming a recent setback. In addition, the injured horse could represent some repressed emotional pain that you have, which is holding you back from moving forward or reaching your potential.
In addition, dreaming of an injured horse can mean that you feel a sense of neglect or abandonment. Or that you are cluing into someone else who feels it. Your dream could be a wake-up call to be more attentive.
Finally, dreaming of an injured horse can mean that you need some downtime and should practice some self-care.
Dreaming of a baby horse, or a foal, is usually a very positive sign. The foal can represent new beginnings and possibilities. It can also be a sign that you are entering a new phase of personal growth or that you are discovering new aspects of yourself.
In addition, it can mean that you are excited about something. Or that you should nurture those things in your life that make you feel giddy and fill you with the desire to kick up your heels.
If you are lucky enough to have your own horse and you dream about them, it is likely a soul connection. Like the people in our lives whom we are closest to, our animal companions are also our soulmates. We are connected to them on both a physical and spiritual level.
If you had a horse in your life whom you loved and who has now passed, dreaming of them is also likely a soul connection. If your dream was particularly vivid and stayed with you, it is likely your horse angel visited with you.
Dreaming about a horse or horses can have a variety of meanings depending on the context and details of your dream. But hopefully learning more about different horse dream interpretations can bring added insight into what your horse dream is telling you.
And if you’re still curious, you might find additional insights in my post on horse symbolism and meanings.
You might like these other articles on UniGuide:
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4 Responses
I dreamed I was visiting an estranged friend. Her main house was beautiful and overlooked her other house, which was disappearing piece by piece. She showed remorse for the old house and kept it clean anyway. She then claimed a wild fire got it, although nothing looked burnt or rotten. The whole time, a brown horse was following us. It was her horse, although she had never had a horse. The horse decided it adored me, and it was looking in my face with big brown eyes loving on me. It walked up and down stairs in the damaged house, looking for me as I showered and got ready for bed. That house was pristine but had no roof and was missing walls. That was a quirky, peaceful, calm, yet funny, dream.
Wow! This is a fascinating dream! So many symbols! My initial feeling is that you are a spiritual guide for your friend. Horses are very sensitive and the horse – both a spirit animal to you and your friend – showed their approval. Often houses in dreams can represent our own psyches. It feels like your friend is evolving – the old ways (old house) is burning down/going away, yet she is treating her experiences that got her here with reverence. (This could also be you – you going through these things too.) The pristine new “house” without ceiling or walls has no limits – it is like the Kingdom of Heaven – it is enlightenment and the realization that your soul has no limits. Love this! Thank you for sharing!
I enjoyed reading this article on horse dreams, my dream was pleasant. It included a few larger horses waiting to give birth in a stall next to my bedroom, and the small horse, which was mine, birthed a beautiful dark silvery gray baby horse. I took the horse and laid it in my bed on the opposite side of my king size bed and it slept like a new born child.
The dream was so vivid as I awakened and it was me in the dream. I noticed that the color grey was symbolic of death, but the article had no mention of meaning of a grey horse dream. I am eager to go to greater heights on this life journey for the glory of God! I don’t dream often, however it’s been pretty regular twice in September, one was an actual number that I hit the lottery number 123 for 5 times straight, and it came the same day in Florida lottery 5123.
The other dream was I awoke and my lamp wouldn’t come on. The house was dark no lights, and I saw an intruder woman trying to exit my front door. I blocked her from leaving and asked her name. She pulled a gun out and I snatched the gun from her hand and said, Let’s talk. Then other people appeared and a guy pulled a gun. She said her name was Shauntinique. My husband appeared and said that’s my cousin missed her flight. I looked that up – the name meaning – it was inspiring. I was never fearful, I was bold but it was in my current house. Then on October 2, 2023 I dreamt the horse dream. Thanks for listening! Rebecca
Thank you for sharing your dreams! I took a note to myself to include the meanings of dreaming of a gray horse!
The color gray, by the way, does not always mean death. It can also mean peacefulness (like cool, soothing mist), wisdom (like older people with gray hair), balance (between black and white), and other qualities. It really depends on the context. I feel like your gray foal was reminding you of your wisdom, or connection to Universal Wisdom, which is the awareness and understanding of everything, of all that is.
People who dream like you do, I believe, are highly intuitive, even psychic. We all have this capacity, but some are just more sensitive and tuned in than others (such as your lottery number dream.) Also, of course, you are deeply connected with your Higher Power!
I encourage you to explore this gift of yours more, such as through meditation and deep prayer. It is a gift! Even the lucid dreaming or dreaming where you can consciously take control of the situation, that shows that your logical mind and subconscious are very integrated. That is also your gift at work! Thank you again for sharing this. I really enjoyed reading it.