Henry Chen, born in 1990, the Year of the Horse, never took Chinese horoscopes too seriously. But the people around him always have.
When Chen's father was a child in the countryside of Gansu, China, he was involved in an accident in which he was nearly trampled by a horse-drawn cart. He could have easily been killed, but, according to family lore, the horses saved his life. It was as if they instinctively dodged his body to keep him safe.
Since then, Chen's father has always felt a spiritual connection to horses, which only intensified when Henry, his eldest son, was born in the Year of the Horse.
Later, as a young adult, Chen worked as an assistant to an award-winning Hollywood director who not only loved horses but was an avid believer of the Chinese zodiac. He believes that being a Horse endeared him to him, and as a bonus, his grandmother (also a Horse) began giving him a personalized zodiac reading every new year. The director felt she could trust Chen's work ethic, as horses are known for being tireless and motivated.
Now Chen admits that he identifies with many of the Horse's traits. “I think horses tend to act first and attack,” he says, “and then deal with the consequences.”
On February 17 comes the Year of the Horse, seventh in the Chinese zodiac cycle of 12 animals. The horses were born in 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954, etc.
According to superstition, a person born in a certain year acquires the traits of that year's animal. The year itself also takes on the spirit of the animal. Each year it is also assigned one of the five elements (metal, water, wood, fire and earth) that rotate with the animal sign. Fire, this year's element, tends to magnify the personality of the animal.
What traits do horses have?
According to astrologer Laura Lau, co-author of the “Manual of Chinese Horoscopes”, the personality of the Horse is strong, confident and charismatic. Horses long for freedom and independence. They are hard-working, action-oriented and instinctive, and tend to learn by doing. But if they take a path that doesn't work, they quickly turn around. This makes them flexible, adaptable and tolerant. But they can also be a challenge to people (especially authority figures) who try to control them.
Michelle Yu, simulcast host at Santa Anita Park Racetrack, confirms that many of the Zodiac Horse's characteristics are similar to the qualities of real horses.
“They are seductive, sociable and daring,” he says of the animals. And they are intuitive. For example, horses that are difficult for adults to handle often radiate extra kindness and attention when around children, he says.
(Illustration by Vivienne Shao / For The Times)
They are also impulsive. “Anyone who has worked with horses knows that one minute a horse can be happy and the next minute it can bite and start breathing fire,” Yu says.
She explains that the only horse trait that might differ from the Zodiac is the need for independence. Horses are herd animals and like to be close to each other.
But they have their own ideas, he says. And they are competitive, especially when they compete. “You can see the horses look each other in the eye” at the starting line, he said, “and they have the will to win.”
Crystal Castagnaro, also a horse, is the director of enrichment at Lunch Brunch, a culinary education program for K-12 students in Southern California. Born and raised in New York, she describes her Sicilian family as very superstitious.
Castagnaro says she has always had an independent spirit and remembers feeling confident moving across the country to live in Los Angeles when she was in her twenties. She feels suffocated when she can't be trusted to do things herself.
“I always say, 'This is what I'm going to do,'” he says. “I'm not going to ask. I don't want people to get in the way of my plans.”
What can you expect in a Fire Horse year?
With the fire element as an intensifier, the Fire Horse is the daredevil and thrill-seeker of the lunar cycle. “It's a time of big change and big emotions,” says Lau.
“The Manual of Chinese Horoscopes” was first written in 1979 by Lau's late mother, Theodora Lau, a prominent astrologer. Laura Lau has updated the guide, but she still reads her mother's old notes. “My mother loved analyzing politics through Chinese astrology,” he says.
The last Year of the Fire Horse was 1966. The Vietnam War was escalating. The civil rights movement was at a crossroads. The Black Panther Party was founded. And the year marked the beginning of the Cultural Revolution in China.
If 1966 is any model, we can expect a breakdown of long-accepted hierarchies and systems of authority.
Jing Gao, creator of the popular Chinese chili sauce Fly By Jing, has garnered millions of views on TikTok with her explanations of the Year of the Horse, where she discusses the feng shui of the Lunar New Year and how each animal will be affected by the year of the Fire Horse.
In one of his videos, he points out that this year's Lunar New Year also falls on a solar eclipse day, with Saturn and Neptune conjunct in Aries a few days later. “This is super intense energy,” he says, “and it will mark an important moment in human history.”
Historically, having a girl in the Year of the Horse has been feared. Lau notes that in her mother's writings back in the 1960s, when East Asian societies were more conservative, she had warned against having a girl during the Year of the Horse because she would be difficult to control.
But over time, as social norms changed, so did attitudes toward assertive females. If a child needs to make his own mistakes to learn from them, it can be difficult for parents to watch, Lau said. But these qualities (strong, decisive, hardworking and intuitive) are all positive.
“Once a horse learns to focus, he can be an incredible leader,” Lau says. “Those who have seen and experienced extremes can be more persuasive.”
Ava Lee, content creator behind oriental medicine beauty and wellness brand ByAva, recently learned that she's expecting her first child in 2026. She wasn't planning on having a fire horse, but now that she's pregnant, people are telling her to be prepared to have an extremely active baby. “I think I'm in trouble,” he jokes.
But Lee was also encouraged to learn from her acupuncturist that she, as a sheep, is one of the best animals to raise a baby horse. A Sheep is loving, sensitive and empathetic, and the Horse baby brings energy and drive to the Sheep parent's world.
How will the Year of the Horse affect your relationships in 2026?
According to superstition, each animal has its animal friends and its animal enemies. Animal friends will have a lucky and productive year, while animal enemies may want to take precautions.
This year's Horse friends, who form an Affinity Triangle in the circle of the Zodiac, are the Tiger and the Dog. They are happy, action-oriented animals that also enjoy new experiences, explains Lau.
The enemies of the Horse are the Rat and the Ox. These animals are great planners, he explains. “They're more rigid and detail-oriented,” he says. “The Horse says, 'Let's play it by ear,' and that drives these other personalities crazy.”
(Illustration by Vivienne Shao / For The Times)
Furthermore, according to superstition, a person's animal year is a time of caution. Believers often take precautions, including wearing a red string bracelet or red underwear year-round to protect themselves.
But Lau wonders if horses will be able to avoid conflict, due to their inherent independent nature. “Horses tend to get along well with each other,” he said. “Everyone is going in their own directions.”
However, the year of the Horse is notoriously challenging for romance, says Lau. The charismatic and passionate Horse is the Casanova of the cycle, and falls in and out of love quickly. “Some will find it exciting,” Lau says. “Others will say, 'No, thank you.'”
The Horse has a lot of youthful energy. They are not afraid to rebuild. “Horses flare on and off, on and off,” Lau said. “It's like being surrounded by two people who need to fight. Sometimes the foreboding silence is exhausting and you'd rather they just yell at each other.”
Should you try to break in a warmblood horse?
Historically, breaking a horse meant “taming it,” explains Junko Goda, a horse archer who was Bae Doona's double in Zack Snyder's “Rebel Moon.” The horse's hot blood was something he had to master. But in recent years, horse training has been reframed around horse psychology, with an emphasis on observing and guiding the horse, rather than dominating it.
“What makes a horse act out? Fear, above all,” said Hollywood horse stunt coordinator Ryan Sturz. “The fear may come from something that is happening in the moment, meaning they are not prepared for that moment. Training and exposure can fix that.
“Fear can also come from bad training or a bad previous experience, and that sometimes cannot be eliminated with training,” he adds. “Sometimes the trauma is too great.”
The Fire Horse comes with a lot of drive, which can propel stagnant dreams into action. Both Lau and Gao, as they prepare for a tumultuous year, remind us that 1966 was also a defining year for music and creativity.
But the main challenge of the Fire Horse year is exhaustion. Gao refers to Taoist teachings that suggest that fire is not overcome by a greater fire. “What burns brightest is consumed first,” he explains. “Water prevails not by force, but by cooling, surrounding and redirecting.”
Over the years, Chen, now a creative producer at Mr. Beast Games, has learned a lot about horse traits, including the most challenging ones. “We never stop moving and can prioritize thinking at work over other areas of life,” he says.
After receiving a zodiac reading from her mother for the upcoming year, she says she's focusing on approaching career decisions calmly. You are working on honest communication with your wife to avoid misunderstandings. You have been advised to avoid unnecessary risks. And when his family tells him to wear a red string bracelet throughout the year of the Horse, he will wear it.
Although Chen still doesn't actively believe in the Zodiac, he respects it.
“Because if I don't and something happens, I'll say, 'Why didn't I just listen?'” he says.
