General Characteristics
The Horse is among the most likeable animals in the zodiac, with a great flair for socializing and an inherently happy, outgoing attitude that uplifts those around him. He is outdoorsy, active, enjoys challenges on every level and thrives on being out and about. It’s not unusual for a Horse to be doing 101 things all at once.
He is also among the most headstrong and forthright signs. He charges right ahead with what he feels are great ideas. He’s very much in tune with what’s going on around him and can make snap decisions for the benefit of any situation. This is one of his greatest qualities. But that same sensitivity doesn’t necessarily translate to inter-personal relationships. The Horse is likely to act on his own accord without much regard for what anyone else thinks. His impulsive streak can therefore earn him great affection or lose him a lot of respect.
Strengths
The Horse has boundless energy and a great deal of passion for life. Not one to sit still for even a moment, the Horse will take up any challenge and charge forward with it with an enthusiasm that will knock people off their feet.
The Horse also has a very high emotional quotient and the ability to pick up the subtlest nuances in any given situation. His speed and stamina then enables him to react quickly and cleverly to what’s happening around him – he’ll fix a bad situation and make a good situation even better. His versatility and creativity are among his greatest strengths, which help him shine even in the most difficult predicaments. You can count on the Horse to come up with a million great new ideas – now you just have to make sure he’ll be constant enough to see it through.
The social Horse is also great at making friends. He is a super talker and people will like being around him. He is an astute observer and can read people like open books – he knows exactly what’s going on in someone’s mind and is able to work with any mood to his advantage. By the end of the day, he will have everyone enrolled to support his new idea – no matter how hare-brained it may be!
Weaknesses
The Horse’s impulsive streak can be as damaging as it is beneficial. He’ll gallop headfirst into whatever happens to take his fancy for the moment, change course halfway, then give up when he gets bored. He will be stubborn and pay little attention to anything that others have to say or advice.
His spontaneity also means he can be very easily distracted and lack the tenacity to see things through – the moment a more exciting prospect comes up, he’ll be off like a shot, leaving things half finished or in ruins. He is also known for being impatient, which could very well drive things to a speedy success or give up on things at the drop of a hat. Known for being volatile, the Horse is also likely to lose his temper if things don’t go as he plans or if people can’t keep up with him.
Career
With his adaptability and skill in making bold decisions in an instant, the Horse will be a valuable asset to any group. He is always optimistic, confident and good with people, all qualities which will help him succeed as a leader. You just need to be able to keep up with him and his team must give him the support to see a project all the way to its end.
The Horse is also blessed with creativity, which means he will always bring new ideas to a group. He may make unconventional decisions but he is optimistic and convincing enough to pull it off. He’ll also be able to quickly rectify obstacles along the way. Being very in tune with the subtlest of changes, he will find innovative ways to counter tricky situations and work very well with a broad range of people to achieve the best results.
It may be difficult to work with a Horse in a group though, as his tendency to fly off on his own will frustrate colleagues. You’ll need to work very closely to be sure that everyone is aligned. Keep up with each other’s progress closely, if not you could very well just lose the Horse, who will either get bored and drop off, or flare up impatiently at everyone else.
Love and Relationships
The Horse, once committed to a lifelong partner will be very loyal but it will take some time to get to that level of stability. Because of his flighty and easily distracted nature, a Horse is likely to dive headfirst into a relationship, sacrificing everything for the sake of that one person; and then lose interest in the blink of an eye. For this reason, Horses are often advised not to settle down into a committed relationship until they are older.
Whatever age they are, the Horse will always want his freedom to be able to go off and do things as and when he likes. A Horse’s partner needs to understand this and give him this space. This does not mean he doesn’t appreciate his partner or is being unfaithful. It just means he enjoys and needs his independence; keeping a tight rein on him will only tire him and make him resentful.
Wealth
Horses don’t usually let money trouble them – they’re too free-spirited to really let themselves be tied down by something as mundane as money. However, as with anything else in their lives, Horses are able to handle finances well if they need to. Their quick minds and versatility will help them out of every tough spot very quickly, to get back to a secure financial state.
Social Life
The outdoorsy Horse loves activity, sport and exercise. You’ll never find him just sitting at home watching television so if you want to be his friend, you’ll need to constantly find exciting, new, challenging activities for him to do.
The Horse also finds it easy to get along with many, many different people and makes friends easily. They thrive in social situations and are huge social butterflies. With their high emotional quotient and highly perceptive insight into their immediate environment, Horses will always be able to adapt to accommodate the people around them.
They’re also always on the lookout for new, exciting things. This can be interpreted as flightiness or just a confident free-spiritedness. You must be aware that just as you think you’ve settled down to a night of great conversation with a Horse, he would have finished his drink and bounded off to the next party.
Life Lessons
The Horse can do with learning to slow down a little and pause a moment to heed the advice (or warnings!) of others. It could save a lot of heartache and trouble later for when he gets himself into trouble or offends people.
He could do with learning to be more tolerant of others and not demanding of everyone to do as he expects, at the speed he wants. He needs to realise that having such a high emotional quotient shouldn’t just be used for his own gain but can be used to better relationships all round. He needs to mellow down a little and be more sensitive of others’ feelings.
The flighty Horse also needs to strengthen his resolve to see things through, no matter how mundane or tiresome he may think it is. He needs to develop a stronger sense of responsibility and tenacity and not to give in so easily to his impatience. He must realise that success isn’t sporadic and that respect is gained not just in the huge goals he creates but in the actual process of achieving them.
COMPATIBILITY
The Horse, Tiger and Dog belong to same the affinity trio. They all have grand ideas and are passionately idealistic, which makes them all get along splendidly. The Horse can depend on the Dog’s steadfast loyalty and shares the same powerful drive and zeal as the Tiger. As one of the most outspoken trios, they will be the ones to uplift and lead the other more passive signs.
The often insecure Sheep will also take easily to the Horse’s powerful sense of direction and help to give him the confidence he needs for himself; in turn, he provides the support the Horse needs. The Boar will also be able to get along with the Horse for little offends him and being a social creature, will also enjoy the Horse’s cheerful disposition.
NON- COMPATIBILITY
Any conflict arising with the Horse is not so much who the Horse dislikes – he can adapt to get along with anyone – but about who cannot stand the Horse’s ever-changing mode of working and living. The picky Rat, who likes constancy will resent the Horse’s fly-by-the-moment ways of living; their attitudes to work are most at odds with each other.
The very stable Ox who likes routine and the quiet, gentle Rabbit will find it challenging to keep up with the Horse’s constant changes. The nit-picking Rooster, though also outspoken, will find the Horse disruptive to the world of efficiency he is trying to create. The cool Snake and Horse are both powerful in their own ways but the Horse’s outlandish energy will irritate the Snake and the Horse will have no patience for the Snake’s evasiveness.
The Horse and the Five Elements
The element of Horse is Fire
The Horse sign is of the Fire element.Generally, the Fire element determines a very strong sense of confidence, leadership and a strong personality. People born under the Fire element will be seen and heard; they will be active, social, confident and very capable of holding their own.
The Metal Horse
This is the most popular but also stubborn and uncompromising of all the Horses. He is exceptionally friendly and warm-hearted, which will endear him to many people.
The Metal Horse is highly active – so much so that it can be very hard for anyone else around him to keep up. He thrives on excitement, and new challenges that will bring him further and to great heights. At his peak, his stoically unyielding focus and drive will see every job right through to its most successful end, a trait that many distracted, volatile Horses struggle to achieve. Often, this more than capable Horse will not need to depend on anyone to get the job done.
As much as he is driven and focused however, this same quality can make him quite stubborn, unyielding and irresponsible. More so than other Horses, he is fiercely independent and will strongly resist any form of monitoring or regulation. He especially hates it when people try to interfere with his goals and tell him what to do. If situations aren’t giving him what he wants, he can become easily bored and frustrated. In turn, this makes him irresponsible and unreasonable. This makes it quite difficult for him to make any long-term commitments – either socially, romantically or in business – that may threaten his sense of freedom.
The Water Horse
The Water Horse is a particularly cheery, amiable sign which is colourful, fashionable, and able to talk to and be liked by anyone. He has a particularly versatile nature and like water, is able to fit into any surrounding, finding his own comfortable level among a very broad diversity of people, situations and places.
The Water Horse also has an above-average intuition, enabling him to tune into the subtlest changes around him and to make the necessary changes to adapt and make the most out of every situation, no matter how tricky. This makes him particularly adept at doing business or in careers which require making and maintaining inter-personal relations.
However, the restless nature of the Water Horse also means that he is easily distracted and has a tendency to change his mind frequently, much to the exasperation of his colleagues or friends. He listens only to himself, guided only by his instincts and going off as and when he fancies. At his most negative, he can be very inconsistent and simply go about at his own whim without much awareness of others’ needs.
The Wood Horse
The most grounded of the Horses, the Wood Horse is a hard and tireless worker, with much strength and many amiable characteristics that will endear him to others easily. He is friendly, very socially active and can maintain very good friendships and conversations without dominating the scene or offending anyone.
He has the propensity for being very generous too. He has a more open mind that is able to think broadly and systematically, while taking on several activities and interests at the same time. The stoic Wood element will make it easier for him to find discipline and he is more likely to fulfil his responsibilities than his other flightier Horse siblings of other elements.
With his head on his shoulders, the Wood Horse is progressive, modern and also practical. He is willing to adopt new methods and discard old ways of thinking – whatever will be the most practical solution! However, although he is more able to compromise than the other elements, he still likes his independence and to be leader of the pack.
The Fire Horse
Led mostly by his heart and his passions, this is the wildest and most volatile of Horses. The Fire Horse is exceptionally intelligent and has a brilliant personality. He is most courageous, most willing to take on several different things at the same time and to take risks – whatever will keep his heart pumping! Not one for practicality or caution, the Fire Horse will pummel his way through by sheer force and willpower to get what he wants. He is highly competitive, always trying to raise the bar and set higher and higher goals for himself. This drive can be good… until he gets bored or totally offends others who don’t agree with his plans.
As the Horse’s own fixed element is Fire, people born in the year of the Fire Horse will be twice as fiery! This means they are highly excitable and constantly on the move, with the exceptional gift of being able to react quickly and deftly to any number of situations.
However, the volatile nature of Fire makes them highly distracted and inconsistent in their actions. It is difficult for them to focus on anything unless it provides constant challenges and stimulation. He will have great ideas and fantastic abilities, but not the tenacity to see things through to the end. It also means they can have a very explosive, hot temper. At their worst, Fire Horses can be very destructive, channeling their huge reserve of energy and power to negative or harmful ends.
The Earth Horse
The Earth Horse is a happy horse and perhaps the most amiable of all. The earthy element makes him more steady, less impetuous and more likely than the rest to weigh all sides of a situation before acting. However, this can also mean that he is often indecisive and acts with far less certainty than his other Horse counterparts.
The Earth element makes him more careful and it is also easier for him to settle down, fulfill his responsibilities and take heed of others’ advice. The Earth Horse is also known for having a very solid set of principles and holds on strongly to a moral code. His inherently intuitive nature also reveals a much softer side to others that is more altruistic and sensitive. This Horse is much less likely to offend than Horses of the other elements, and brings a much more positive energy to the people he works with.
This grounded, practical Horse works particularly well with money and finances. He is able to sniff out good opportunities or investments and with his deftness, skill and careful assessment, he is even able to revive failing businesses or make mediocre projects yield greater results and returns.
