Are You and Your Horse Compatible?
Katie Passerotti applies the Chinese Zodiac to horse/human relationships. Find out whether you and your horse are a match made in heaven, or whether you’re just doomed.
From Katie:
Have you ever wondered why some horses/rider combinations just get along while others are like oil and water? Perhaps the answer lies in the stars. So, just in time for Valentine’s Day, I’ve taken the Chinese Zodiac and applied it to horses.
First, determine what year you and your horse are to learn the strengths and weaknesses of your personalities. I’ve also included what colours are lucky for you and your horse, as that could be your entire problem–you insist on using a green saddle pad and polo wraps with your Ox-Horse when you should be using a purple pad and polos!
Next, refer to the chart at the bottom of the page to ascertain whether you and your horse are a match made in heaven, or whether you should be looking for a new equine partner!
- Year of the Rat (1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008)
Horses born in the year of the Rat will have spirit, alertness, delicacy, flexibility and vitality. Their strengths are that they are smart, personable, curious and have a flair for cleanliness (like only pooping in one corner of the stall). Their weaknesses include timidity and a lack of concentration. They also don’t like to be leaders, are often in need of courage, and can sometimes be stubborn.
Lucky colours: blue, gold and green. Avoid: yellow and brown.
- Year of the Ox (1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009)
Ox-Horses are honest, patient, cautious and tend to be steady workers. They possess talent along with will and have faith in their handlers/riders. They also have a strong work ethic. They are not easily spooked by their surroundings and will remain focused on their task. Their weaknesses include being obstinate and having poor communication skills –they aren’t going to politely remind you to not kick so hard, they are going to buck hard and make sure you never forget!
Lucky colours: blue, red and purple. Avoid: white and green.
- Year of the Tiger (1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010)
Equines born in the year of the Tiger are tolerant and respected throughout the barn aisle. They enjoy challenges–especially fast challenges. (Think gamers, race horses and upper-level eventers!) Weaknesses include being more interested in protecting themselves than protecting their riders and not getting along with the senior crowd (be it horse or human) or persons of authority as they like to be in charge.
Lucky colours: blue, grey, white and orange. Avoid: gold, silver, brown and black.
- Year of the Rabbit (1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011)
Rabbit-Horses are gentle, sensitive and amiable. They are practical jokers and will make you laugh often. They are very peaceful and hate arguing. Their weaknesses include that they can be overly amorous and will easily lose their determination, which can lead to them missing out on opportunities to shine in the show ring.
Lucky colours: red, pink, purple and blue. Avoid: brown, yellow and white.
- Year of the Dragon (1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012)
Horses born under the sign of the dragon will be lively, intelligent, full of energy and excitable. They make great herd leaders and don’t like to make mistakes. They will approach difficulties head on and are not easily discouraged. Weaknesses include an uncontrollable moody-ness and their intelligence and excitability can cause woes for their human counterparts.
Lucky colours: gold and silver. Avoid: red, green, purple and black.
- Year of the Snake (1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013)
If your horse was born under the sign of the snake, he is going to have an excellent temperament and great communication skills. They hate to fail and want to help out their humans and fellow horses. However, they will be jealous, so it is best to only own one horse if you own a Snake-Horse! They will be polite and have good manners, but they can also be headstrong when it suits them.
Lucky colours: red, yellow and black. Avoid: white, gold and brown.
- Year of the Horse (1918, 1930, 1942, 1953, 1965, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014)
Horse-Horses are honest and have ingenious ways of communicating. They always want to be the star of the show (dressage diva, perhaps?) Sometimes they’ll whicker, whinny and neigh too much but overall they are cheerful, talented and like to be part of the group. Their weaknesses include being impatient and they don’t want to be constrained too much, as they enjoy their freedom. They are often wasteful and will only eat the choicest hay from the flakes you give them before using the rest as bedding.
Lucky colours: brown, yellow and purple. Avoid: blue, white and gold.
- Year of the Sheep (1919, 1931, 1943, 1954, 1966, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015)
Horses born in the year of the Sheep will be well mannered, clever, and kind-hearted. They are sensitive and wise and will approach their work with caution. Sheep-Horse’s weaknesses include shyness (not shying! Shyness!) and they can become over sensitive if their rider/handler isn’t careful. They can also be moody and indecisive at times.
Lucky colours: green, red and purple. Avoid: gold and brown
- Year of the Monkey (1920, 1932, 1944, 1955, 1967, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016)
Horses born in the year of the Monkey are lively, versatile and can be erratic geniuses. They love being active and competing. Very sociable, they are the horses you can turn out with anyone. They also enjoy learning and are talented problem solvers. Monkey-Horse weaknesses include being jealous, selfish and can be easily discouraged if they do not figure something out quickly.
Lucky colours: white, gold and blue. Avoid: red, black, grey and brown.
- Year of the Rooster (1921, 1933, 1945, 1956, 1968, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017)
Rooster-Horses are deep thinkers who are honest, bright, ambitious and capable. They are loners who also have a quick mind and an even quicker temper. They enjoy having a job and like to stay neat and tidy. Their weaknesses include having difficulty getting along well with other horses, and they think that they are always right. Rooster-Horses tend to be overly emotional at times as well.
Lucky colours: gold, brown and yellow. Avoid: white and green
- Year of the Dog (1922, 1934, 1946, 1957, 1969, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018)
Dog-Horses are straightforward, faithful and courageous. They are often dexterous and will be stubbornly loyal to the right person or horse. Some Dog-Horse weaknesses include being irritable or plagued by unwarranted anxiety. Ulcer meds will be a Dog-Horse’s best friend!
Lucky colours: green, red and purple. Avoid: blue, white and gold.
- Year of the Pig (1923, 1935, 1947, 1957, 1970, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019)
Pig-Horses are honest, frank and gallant. They maintain an outer and inner calmness. have a strong heart and will do anything you want once you have earned their friendship–they are very loyal. They enjoy working through problems and puzzles. Because they are so trusting, one of the Pig-Horse’s weaknesses is that they are easily taken advantage of.
Lucky colours: yellow, grey, brown and gold. Avoid: red, blue and green.
- Just for fun, some famous horses:
Ruffian was a Rat.
Rugged Lark was a Rooster.
Totilas is a Dragon.
Secretariat was a Pig.
Mr. Ed was an Ox.
Curlin is a Monkey.
Originally published on Horse Nation on April 14, 2012.
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