[NightmareBreath]

I'm not a big fan of horror, generally. But when I find something that does interest me, it's usually because it involves an animal. Probably due to the fact that I'm quite an animal lover. A bit twisted sometimes, but an animal lover still.

Serial killers? No thanks.

Zombies? Yawn.

Revolting monsters? Nah.

Mutated killer sheep? Now we're talking! (Honest- I found a DVD called 'Black Sheep' about exactly that.)

Usually when an animal is the focus of horror fiction, it's something from a predictable list of horrifying creatures: bats, spiders, rats, wolves, or even rabid dogs. Even bunny rabbits have made the cut ('Night of the Lepus').

But horses? Come on! Horses are cute, docile, domesticated animals that wouldn't harm anyone. Or would they? There are many accounts of vicious horses (usually in past centuries, and usually intact stallions) that have attacked, injured, and even killed their handlers.

And then there are the frightening steeds of legend: the biblical Four Horsemen, the Headless Horseman, and the Nazgul riders in the Lord of the Rings, to name just a few. But the horses themselves are not the main focus, scary as they may be. The riders are the real agents of terror.

But the potential is there for horses to be a great focus of horror fiction. They are very large, powerful beasts that can easily overpower and injure puny humans or other animals, if they wanted to.

I know of only a handful of horror books (Charles Grant's 'The Pet' being one of the best, even if it is kind of silly) that feature horses as the primary focus, and no movies whatsoever. Why do you think that is?

Horses are one of my favorite animals, and I would be interested in any works of horror fiction that feature them in the spotlight.

Anyone know anything I don't?