Year of the Horse: Chinese Zodiac Horse Years, Traits and Matches
The short answer
Horse years come every 12 years and begin at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. The most recent ran from 17 February 2026 to 5 February 2027, and the next begins on 4 February 2038.
Horse years come every 12 years and begin at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January. The most recent ran from 17 February 2026 to 5 February 2027, and the next begins on 4 February 2038.
The Horse is the free spirit of the cycle. Tradition describes Horse people as energetic, independent and warm, quick with words and happiest on the move. They start with enthusiasm and hate being fenced in.
Strengths and challenges
Strengths: Energetic, Independent, Warm, Eloquent. Challenges: Impatient, Restless, Stubborn, Quick to move on.
The Horse in love
In love the Horse is enthusiastic and affectionate, and needs space as much as closeness. It thrives with a partner who has their own life and joins the adventure.
The Horse at work
At work the Horse brings momentum. It suits travel, sales, sport, performance and roles with variety and room to roam.
Best and hardest matches
Traditionally the Horse works best with the Tiger and Dog (its trine) and has a quiet ally in the Goat. Its opposite is the Rat, the pairing tradition calls a clash.
Every Horse year, 1924 to 2044
| Year | Element and animal | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Metal Horse | 30 January 1930 | 16 February 1931 |
| 1942 | Water Horse | 15 February 1942 | 4 February 1943 |
| 1954 | Wood Horse | 3 February 1954 | 23 January 1955 |
| 1966 | Fire Horse | 21 January 1966 | 8 February 1967 |
| 1978 | Earth Horse | 7 February 1978 | 27 January 1979 |
| 1990 | Metal Horse | 27 January 1990 | 14 February 1991 |
| 2002 | Water Horse | 12 February 2002 | 31 January 2003 |
| 2014 | Wood Horse | 31 January 2014 | 18 February 2015 |
| 2026 | Fire Horse | 17 February 2026 | 5 February 2027 |
| 2038 | Earth Horse | 4 February 2038 | 23 January 2039 |
Branch: 午 Wǔ · Fixed element: Fire · Yang · Hours: 11am to 1pm
How the dates are worked out
Each Chinese New Year here is worked out from the sky, not copied from a list. A lunar month starts on the day of a New Moon in China Standard Time (UTC+8, or Beijing local time before 1929). The month holding the December solstice is the 11th month. When 13 New Moons fall between two of those months, the first month with no principal solar term (the Sun reaching a multiple of 30 degrees) is a leap month. New Year is the first day of the 1st month, which is why it moves between 21 January and 20 February. New Moons and solar terms follow Jean Meeus's Astronomical Algorithms. The rules follow the Chinese calendar.