Year of the Horse: Fortune, Personality, Horoscope (2025)
Horse is the 7th animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac signs, coming after the Snake and before the Goat. Recent years of the Horse include 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954, and 1942, with the next Horse year in 2026 (Year of the Fire Horse). It is associated with the earthly branch sign of wu.
According to Chinese astrology, Horse is confident, agreeable, and responsible, although they also tend to dislike being reined in by others. They’re fit and intelligent, adoring physical and mental exertion; they’re decisive but also easily swayed and impatient.
Chinese Zodiac Years for Horse
The Chinese zodiacs, like many aspects of traditional Chinese culture, are derived from the Chinese lunar calendar, which does not correspond exactly with the Gregorian calendar. You can use our calculator below to quickly find your sign.
Chinese zodiac calculator
Curious, resourceful, and quick-witted, Rat’s natural charm opens doors to opportunity. Your dynamic personality... more
For those born in January or February, pay special attention to when the Chinese New Year begins, as your zodiac animal sign may fall in the previous year’s cycle (see the chart below).
Chart of Years, Dates, and Elements for Horse Zodiac Signs
Horse Year | Lunar Year Start Date | Lunar Year End Date | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
1918 | February 11, 1918 | January 31, 1919 | Earth |
1930 | January 30, 1930 | February 16, 1931 | Metal |
1942 | February 15, 1942 | February 4, 1943 | Water |
1954 | February 3, 1954 | January 23, 1955 | Wood |
1966 | January 21, 1966 | February 8, 1967 | Fire |
1978 | February 7, 1978 | January 27, 1979 | Earth |
1990 | January 27, 1990 | February 14, 1991 | Metal |
2002 | February 12, 2002 | January 31, 2003 | Water |
2014 | January 31, 2014 | February 18, 2015 | Wood |
2026 | February 17, 2026 | February 5, 2027 | Fire |
Horse’s 2025 Horoscope (Year of the Snake)
2025 brings steady career progression and creative success for Horses. While love may offer excitement, maintaining loyalty is key to avoiding complications. Pay attention to communication in both personal and professional settings to ensure a harmonious and successful year.
Read more: Horse’s 2025 Horoscope (Love, Career, Wealth, Health)
Personality Traits of Horse Signs
Horses are leaders who rarely accept defeat, so they can motivate themselves to put up an active fight in everything they do. This can come off as tenacity, endurance, stubbornness, or even foolhardiness in certain situations.
Once Horse matures and learns to harness this energy, they’ll be unstoppable since they’re agile and shrewd thinkers who innately understand human nature. They’re also principled, so their efforts will be put toward a good cause.
Socially, Horse has an outgoing and agreeable personality. They speak as quickly as they think and act, and they aren’t shy about showing off their talents and capabilities because to be falsely self-effacing wouldn’t be authentic.
Horse Strengths
Horse people possess many talents and strengths. They’re enthusiastic and candid, appearing as a hero to many when they decide to take up a good cause and do battle on behalf of the underprivileged with passion.
They are widely liked for their natural sociability and openness, as well as their courage and passion, which, when coupled with their eloquence and moral uprightness, makes Horses exceptional leaders and social advocates at work and popular in love.
Horse Weaknesses
Horses have a tendency to give up halfway through when their quick passion runs out of steam. It’s not that they fear failure, but they can get bored easily, which applies to work and love.
They can also be vain and self-glorifying, prone to seeking attention and applause. Because of this, they’ll often ignore others’ contributions to their team or family, brewing resentment in those closest to their capricious heart.
Horse Zodiacs and the Five Elements Theory
The Chinese Five Elements Theory assigns one of the five elements—Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth—to each year, in addition to the zodiacs. So Horses born in different years will have different personalities.
Lucky (and Unlucky) Things for Horses
Horse’s luck is associated with 2 and 7, southeast, and the colors of red, pink, and purple. They should avoid black and blue colors, 1 and 6, north and northwest, and keeping any pet rodents.
In Chinese culture, your Ben Ming Nian, or zodiac birth year, is also considered unlucky, and in order to ward off any misfortune, you should wear red colors.
Lucky Things
Lucky numbers: 2, 7
Lucky colors: Red, Pink, Purple
Lucky directions: Southeast
Lucky flowers: Iris, Jasmine, Calla Lily
Unlucky Things
Unlucky numbers: 1, 6
Unlucky colors: Black, Blue
Unlucky directions: Northwest
Love and Compatibility for Horses
Horses are energetic, lively, and generous, so they will be popular with the opposite sex. When it comes to love compatibility, their hot temper and stubborn nature mean they tend to gravitate towards romantic partners who are more easygoing and gentle.
They prefer to take the assertive role and enjoy the pursuit and eventual conquest of the object of their affection. Horses need freedom, so if their partner is needy or clingy, Horses may feel stifled.
❤️ Best Match: Horse and Tiger
Tigers may represent characteristics that Horses dislike about themselves— they’re temperamental, hot-headed, and often cocky. But in fact, they bring out the best in each other and allow the other to grow out of their worst.
It’s as if both Tiger and Horse finally have someone who can keep up with their own breakneck speed, which can be thrilling to Horse, who would have gotten bored with a less charismatic partner.
❤️ Best Match: Horse and Dog
Dog is practically Horse’s dream come true when it comes to romance since this spirited and high-strung zodiac has always dreamed of a mellower partner who can give them a respite from their own passionate nature.
In return, Horse will take on the leadership role in the relationship—as they naturally prefer—and give their more homely partner a sense of direction and movement in life, exactly what Dog wants, too.
❤️ Best Match: Horse and Goat
Who else can better soothe the passionate Horse when they’re riled up than the gentle and mild Goat? A few well-chosen words and a knowing touch from their better half, and Horse will magically settle down.
Many misunderstand Goat to be ambition-less, but not Horse. They know their Goat to be as hardworking—or even stubborn—as themselves when it comes to something they care about, which Horse respects and adores.
Worst Matches: Rat, Ox
Horse and Rat: Horse and Rat cannot seem to stay together for long, even if the relationship started as a loving union, because while they are agreeable and well-liked, they’re also both too headstrong to make any concessions.
Horse is demanding and asks Rat to give in to their needs, while Rat will react by ignoring Horse. This leads to frequent conflicts that neither will bother to resolve, making theirs a difficult match.
Horse and Ox: Horse and Ox find their way to each other and may start a relationship, but soon conflicts and disputes arrive, and neither can remember why they were drawn to the other in the first place.
Horse loves freedom, which makes Ox feel insecure, while Ox’s stability and steadiness bore Horse. What started quickly as a passionate love affair is more likely to result in a bitter breakup rather than a happy marriage.
Careers Fit for the Chinese Zodiac Horse
Horses are creative and enthusiastic individuals with seemingly inexhaustible natural abilities that make them highly sought-after. They are changeable creatures, however, and not known for their tenacity over the long haul, especially in thankless behind-the-scenes jobs.
Instead, this charismatic zodiac is best suited for leadership positions or something that garners them praise and recognition for the excellent work into which they pour all their passion in the moment—before they move on.
Horses won’t have money issues, although just like their professional fortunes, their wealth will fluctuate a great deal. But that works just fine for Horses since they rarely feel anxious about anything except possibly, boredom.
Best careers for Horses
Architect
Business Executive
Entertainer
Entrepreneur
Travel Vlogger
Worst careers for Horses
Investor
Data Analyst
Executive Assistant
Research Scientist
Government Official
Health and Lifestyle Advice for Horses
Horse is often powerfully built and full of life, which makes them appear invincible, but that’s not usually the case. Instead, their constant activity means Horses are often strained, body and mind, and illness and injury prone.
Their nervous digestive, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems are especially prone to attacks, so Horses are advised to take it easy when they can and keep an eye on their physical, emotional, and mental health.
Horse and the 12 Zodiac Animals (Origin Story)
Chinese culture has an origin story that explains why the 12 zodiacs are represented by these 12 animals, and in this order. Horse is 7th of the zodiacs because that’s its place in the celestial race.
The race was organized by the Jade Emperor, who ruled over the heavens in Chinese legend. By his imperial decree, the first 12 animals that made it across the river would receive this eternal honor.
Horse was a crowd favorite, but because it was dawdling for the onlookers’ adoration and fanfare at the starting line, Horse didn’t start the race until it was too late to win the way everyone expected. However, it still beat the Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig to the finish line.
Famous People Born in the Year of the Horse
Horses are some of the most passionate and charismatic leaders, performers, and activists the world has ever seen. Here’s a list of famous Horses:
Joe Biden: November 20, 1942, Water Horse
Mike Tyson: June 30, 1966, Fire Horse
Jackie Chan: April 7, 1954, Wood Horse
Kobe Bryant: August 23, 1978, Earth Horse
Emma Watson: April 15, 1990, Metal Horse
Clint Eastwood: May 31, 1930, Metal Horse
Greta Thunberg: January 3, 2003, Water Horse
Cindy Crawford: February 20, 1966, Fire Horse