Year of the Horse 马

The Horse is sign 7 of the twelve-animal Chinese zodiac cycle. Recent and upcoming Horse years include 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 — but remember the animal changes at Lunar New Year, not on January 1, so January and early-February birthdays may belong to the previous sign.

Horse years

Between 1940 and 2035 the Year of the Horse falls in: 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026. Each of those years also carries an element from the ten-year Heavenly Stem cycle, so no two Horse years in a row are quite the same flavour — a full animal-and-element combination repeats only every 60 years. Check any single year, for example born in 2014, for its exact pairing.

Horse personality

Independent, warm-hearted and always halfway out the door, the Horse runs on freedom and momentum. Horses are quick, funny and decisive, and they wilt under micromanagement or a too-quiet calendar.

Lucky numbers and colours

In the tradition this site follows, the Horse's lucky numbers are 2 and 3 and 7 and its lucky colours are yellow, green. Treat these as the fun part of the reading — a nudge for a jersey number or a notebook colour, not a strategy.

Horse compatibility

Traditionally spirited matches with Tiger and Dog, and easy with Goat. Rat, the opposite sign, may plan more than the Horse can stand. You can test any pairing on the 12×12 compatibility matrix.

Famous Horses

Well-known people born in a Year of the Horse include Neil Armstrong (born 1930) and Aretha Franklin (born 1942) — listed by birth year only, which is all the zodiac claims about them.

Not sure if you're a Horse?

Birthdays near Lunar New Year are the classic trap. Use the finder on the homepage with your exact birth date, or check the New Year dates table for your year.

Explore the other animals

Zodiac Sign Finder is for entertainment. Astrology is a tradition of stories and symbols, not a science — enjoy your reading the way you'd enjoy a fortune cookie: lightly.