1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
The Chinese year of the Horse is the seventh year of the 12-year-cycle of Chinese Zodiac animals, finishing in 7th place in the race to the Heavenly Gate. The old Chinese story behind this was that the Jade emperor ordered a race to select the 12 animals to be his personal guards. The animals arrived in the order of the cycle.
People born in the Year of the Horse were born in 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, or 2026.
Though be careful, our Gregorian calendar does not line up perfectly with the Chinese lunisolar calendar. If you were born in January or February (generally, the Chinese New Year begins in late January or early February), check the Chinese New Year dates from your birth year to determine your correct zodiac sign!
If you’re a Horse, read on for a few more details!
Horse Personality
Sarah was born in the year of the horse, so read on and get to know what she is like from the eyes of the Chinese Zodiac!
They’re energetic, spirited, and athletic in mind and/or body. While that might sound like these individuals are sporty, it’s more about a restless spirit that leads the way, helping them prioritize what matters most to them above everything else, like traveling and tight-knit relationships.
They’re natural born leaders and hate to have their freedom taken away. As you can imagine, this restlessness and independence can give way to impatience and challenges with compromise.
Even a drifter mentality where they hop from thing to thing in search of the next best thing!
Compatible with: Tiger or Goat are best; also ok with Pig
Be careful around: Rat, Ox, Horse, Rooster
Chinese Zodiac Elements
Chinese astrology assigns each year with one of the five elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Earth, and Fire). When you combine these five elements with the 12-year cycle of animal signs, you get a 60-year cycle.
Each of those elements have associated meanings. Here they are on a rather simplistic level:
- Wood: creativity, imagination
- Fire: passion, adventure
- Metal: persistence, ambition
- Water: agility, eloquence
- Earth: patience, stability
To find your Chinese element, look at the last number of your birth year:
- For birth years ending in 0 or 1, your element is metal.
- For birth years ending 2 or 3, your element is water.
- For birth years ending in 4 or 5, your element is wood.
- For birth years ending in 6 or 7, your element is fire.
- For birth years ending in 8 or 9, your element is earth.
Again, though, remember that the Chinese calendar and the regular Gregorian calendar do not line up perfectly. If you were born in January or February, check to see which Chinese year you were actually born in!
Full Zodiac Animal chart
Below is the full spectrum of Chinese zodiac animals. Click on the image to look up your own sign by birth year and read more about how Judy, Sarah and Kaitlin rediscovered their Chinese Zodiac signs in Hong Kong.
If you’re looking to shower your family and friends with well-wishes and greetings or at least understand them, check out 23 of the most common Chinese New Year greetings in both Mandarin and Cantonese.
Don’t forget to visit our Chinese New Year recipe planning guide to plan your own celebration meal.