i caught snakes and snapping turtles as kid... i knew how to get turtle by the tail and i could identify all the poisonous snakes... it drove my mom and dad nuts tho. Also every other person who saw me with a snake told me it was copperhead, lol. But i loved it as a kid. Up to 40 or 45 i was a bit of dare devil, just never considered i could die.
Anyway, I am glad u can still enjoy ur passions ... i grew up in Tennessee and lots of my friends/cousins had horses... i never really rode em enough to be comfy with em, but horse people truly amaze me. I had a best buddy in college, stop any fear of dogs i ever had. He told me he had 2 dobermans growing up. I asked weren't u afraid of them ...... He laughed and said "Afraid of a f*&king Dog, i am bigger than any dog", now my horses are way bigger & tougher than me and i cant show them i am afraid, so why should be afraid of a Dog."... Some of thats just bravado, but it also makes alot of
sense. Again i never had horses, but i thought about and it made
sense and in general i know most animals are more afraid of u than them. Tigars, Black Bears & Giant Moose i doubt i would be calm around, but u got to live ur life is my motto.