Chinese zodiac · 午 Wǔ
Year of the Horse
The Horse is the seventh of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, the animal of the earthly branch Wǔ. Each Horse year starts at Lì Chūn, the Start of Spring, around February 4, not on January 1.
At a glance
- In Chinese
- 马 (mǎ); the branch 午 (wǔ)
- Horse years
- 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026, 2038
- Next Horse year
- 2038, from Lì Chūn at 2:03 am on February 4, Beijing time (Lunar New Year: February 4, 2038)
- The branch's own element
- Fire
- Horse hour
- 11 am to 1 pm, by the sun
- Horse month
- From 芒种 (Grain in Ear), about June 5, to 小暑 (Slight Heat), about July 7
- Matches in tradition
- Six combination: Goat (未). Three harmony: Tiger (寅) and Dog (戌).
- Clash in tradition
- Rat (子)
- 2027 almanac lists
- Combines with the Goat: six combination (六合)
Every Horse year, with exact dates
| Year | Name | By Lunar New Year | By Lì Chūn (Beijing time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 庚午, Metal Horse | 30 Jan 1930 to 16 Feb 1931 | 4 Feb 1930, 8:51 pm to 5 Feb 1931, 2:40 am |
| 1942 | 壬午, Water Horse | 15 Feb 1942 to 4 Feb 1943 | 4 Feb 1942, 6:48 pm to 5 Feb 1943, 12:40 am |
| 1954 | 甲午, Wood Horse | 3 Feb 1954 to 23 Jan 1955 | 4 Feb 1954, 4:30 pm to 4 Feb 1955, 10:17 pm |
| 1966 | 丙午, Fire Horse | 21 Jan 1966 to 8 Feb 1967 | 4 Feb 1966, 2:37 pm to 4 Feb 1967, 8:30 pm |
| 1978 | 戊午, Earth Horse | 7 Feb 1978 to 27 Jan 1979 | 4 Feb 1978, 12:26 pm to 4 Feb 1979, 6:12 pm |
| 1990 | 庚午, Metal Horse | 27 Jan 1990 to 14 Feb 1991 | 4 Feb 1990, 10:13 am to 4 Feb 1991, 4:08 pm |
| 2002 | 壬午, Water Horse | 12 Feb 2002 to 31 Jan 2003 | 4 Feb 2002, 8:24 am to 4 Feb 2003, 2:06 pm |
| 2014 | 甲午, Wood Horse | 31 Jan 2014 to 18 Feb 2015 | 4 Feb 2014, 6:03 am to 4 Feb 2015, 11:58 am |
| 2026 | 丙午, Fire Horse | 17 Feb 2026 to 5 Feb 2027 | 4 Feb 2026, 4:01 am to 4 Feb 2027, 9:46 am |
| 2038 | 戊午, Earth Horse | 4 Feb 2038 to 23 Jan 2039 | 4 Feb 2038, 2:03 am to 4 Feb 2039, 7:52 am |
Take a made-up birth on February 5, 2026. Lì Chūn had come at 4:01 am on February 4, Beijing time, so in BaZi that baby is a Horse. Lunar New Year didn't come until February 17, 2026, so many zodiac calendars still say a Snake. Both answers are in use; this site counts from Lì Chūn.
Check your birthday
Your animal is one character of eight. Enter your birth date to check your animal and see the type BaZi reads from your birth day. It's worked out in your browser and sent nowhere.
The Horse's five elements
Wood Horse, 甲午: 1954, 2014. Na Yin: Gold in the Sand (沙中金).
Fire Horse, 丙午: 1966, 2026. Na Yin: Heavenly River Water (天河水).
Earth Horse, 戊午: 1978, 2038. Na Yin: Heavenly Fire (天上火).
Metal Horse, 庚午: 1930, 1990. Na Yin: Roadside Earth (路旁土).
Water Horse, 壬午: 1942, 2002. Na Yin: Willow Wood (杨柳木).
The element comes from the year's heavenly stem, so it changes every two years and comes back every ten. The Na Yin is a second element that tradition gives each of the sixty pairs.
The Horse in folk tradition
In the folk tale of the great race, the Horse was scared by the Snake, which jumped out at the last minute, and came in seventh.
Popular lore describes people born in a Horse year as friendly and lively.
These are folk descriptions, not facts about anyone born in a Horse year.
Horse compatibility in tradition: matches and clashes
Six combination (六合) with the Goat (未): each branch has one partner of this kind.
Three harmony (三合) with the Tiger (寅) and the Dog (戌): together, the three make the Fire trio.
Clash (冲) with the Rat (子): the branch opposite on the circle of twelve.
Harm (害) with the Ox (丑); punishment (刑) with itself (自刑); break (破) with the Rabbit (卯).
These are relations between two year branches, one character of eight in each chart. They're tradition, not a verdict on a couple. A full comparison reads both whole charts.
The Horse in 2027
2027 is a Fire Goat year, 丁未, from Lì Chūn on February 4, 2027.
- The 2027 almanac's two lists: Tai Sui, and combining with the year
- Combines with the Goat: six combination (六合)
These two lists are printed here as the almanac gives them, with no verdict attached: being on either one, or on neither, says nothing about how the year goes.
The other animals
Sources
MiraCosta College Library, China Culture, China Daily (2013), China Daily (2023), Asian Art Museum, CGTN
A traditional reading for entertainment, reflection and cultural interest, not a prediction or professional advice. Disclaimer
Last updated: 2026-11-13