Chinese zodiac
The Horse in the Chinese zodiac
The Horse is the 7th animal of the Chinese zodiac, a yang sign whose fixed element is Fire. Tradition associates it with being energetic, free-spirited and warm — the love of movement and open space. Horse years include 1990 (Metal), 2002 (Water), 2014 (Wood), 2026 (Fire).
| Order | 7 of 12 |
|---|---|
| Earthly branch | Wu 午 |
| Chinese character | 马 (馬) |
| Fixed element | Fire |
| Polarity | Yang |
| Best matches (San He trine) | Tiger and Dog |
| Secret friend (Liu He) | Goat |
| Clash (Chong) | Rat |
| Harm (Liu Hai) | Ox |
| Solar month | about 6 June – 6 July |
| Double-hour | 11:00 – 13:00 |
Each year's element comes from its heavenly stem, so a Horse year is Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water in turn and the same combination returns every sixty years. The start dates above are computed from the Sun's position: Li Chun is the moment it reaches 315° of ecliptic longitude.
A year does not begin on 1 January. The popular zodiac changes at Chinese New Year (between 21 January and 20 February); BaZi changes it at Li Chun, the start of spring, around 4 February. Anyone born in January or early February belongs to the previous year's animal.
In compatibility, the Horse forms a San He trine with the Tiger and Dog, a Liu He pair ("secret friend") with the Goat, clashes (Chong) with the Rat, the animal six places away, and harms (Liu Hai) the Ox.
The Horse is also the Wu branch of the day, ruling the double-hour 11:00 – 13:00, and of the solar month that runs from about 6 June to 6 July. In a BaZi chart it can appear in any of the four pillars — year, month, day or hour — not only the year.
| Year | Element | Begins (Li Chun, Beijing time) |
|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Yang Water | 4 Feb, 18:49 |
| 1954 | Yang Wood | 4 Feb, 16:31 |
| 1966 | Yang Fire | 4 Feb, 14:38 |
| 1978 | Yang Earth | 4 Feb, 12:27 |
| 1990 | Yang Metal | 4 Feb, 10:14 |
| 2002 | Yang Water | 4 Feb, 08:24 |
| 2014 | Yang Wood | 4 Feb, 06:03 |
| 2026 | Yang Fire | 4 Feb, 04:02 |
Questions
What years are the Year of the Horse?
1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026. Remember the year starts at Chinese New Year (or Li Chun, around 4 February, in BaZi), not on 1 January.
Who is the Horse most compatible with?
The Tiger and Dog (its San He trine) and the Goat (its Liu He secret friend). Its traditional clash is with the Rat, and it harms the Ox.
What element is the Horse?
The Horse's fixed element is Fire. Each Horse year also has its own element from the heavenly stem — for example 2026 is a Fire Horse.
What time is the hour of the Horse?
11:00 – 13:00, the Wu hour. It gives the branch of the hour pillar in BaZi; many practitioners first correct clock time to local solar time.
In Plutto
Plutto reads all four of your animals — year, month, day and hour — in your BaZi chart. Background: Chinese astrology (BaZi).
Ask it something you actually want to know.