The Horse is the seventh of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. There is a long tradition of the Horse in Chinese mythology. Certain characteristics of the Horse nature are supposed to be typical of or to be associated with either a year of the Horse and its events, or in regard to the personality of someone born in such a year. Horse aspects can also enter by other chronomantic factors or measures, such as hourly. The year of the horse is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 午.
Zodiac horse, showing the mǎ (⾺) character for horse
Sculpture of Horse from Chinese zodiac in the park at Mount Mogan in Deqing County, Zhejiang, China
In China, horses are present both physically and in art and beliefs, particularly those relating to astrology. In 1985, China had the world's largest herd of horses, numbering 11 million. China was at the origin of post houses in Eurasia. Since the 2000s sport and leisure riding have been developing in China, mainly for wealthy people.
Horse-drawn carriage in Harbin
The Flying Horse of Gansu, emblem of tourism in China
Farmer at work in northern China, 1991.
Three Terracotta Army horses