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Equus tells the story of Alan, a seventeen-year-old boy who is admitted to a psychiatric hospital after blinding six horses. He is treated by Dr. Martin Dysart, a child psychiatrist. The narrative, told from Martin's perspective, employs Freudian psychoanalysis to explore Alan's family background.
Alan's father, Frank, is a conservative atheist who suppresses Alan's religious fervor and prevents him from interacting with horses—animals that symbolize sexuality in Freudian psychology. His mother, Dora, is a devout Christian who teaches Alan biblical stories and instills conservative Christian values regarding sexuality.
Alan's complex feelings—his affection for his mother, his fear and resentment of his father, and his transferred passion for horses—culminate in a tragic act after a sexual encounter with Jill, a girl he meets at the stables. The overwhelming guilt from this encounter, conflicting with his internalized moral code, leads to a psychological breakdown. Through treating Alan, Dr. Dysart is forced to confront the conflict between innate human passion and societal constraints, reflecting on his own emotional emptiness.
