As the Year of the Horse approaches, horses that after carried civilisation ahead nonetheless carry which means worldwide. Chen Ziqi reviews.
EVERY TIME the Chinese New Year approaches, I discover myself paying nearer consideration to the animal of the yr. Not simply the symbolism, however the tales behind it, the place these meanings got here from, and why they nonetheless resonate right now.
As February ushers within the Year of the Horse, that curiosity feels particularly alive.
While the horse holds a particular place in Chinese custom, symbolising vitality and progress, its which means extends far past nationwide borders. From historic civilisations to trendy societies, the horse has emerged as one in every of humanity’s most enduring international symbols, formed by its very important function in transportation, warfare, tradition, and social improvement.
Even right now, in a world powered by engines and algorithms, the bond between people and horses continues to evolve.
Although trendy societies not depend on horses for survival, the human-horse connection stays extremely seen in modern life. Across Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and lots of elements of Africa and Asia, equestrian tradition continues to thrive, encompassing elite sport and leisure driving. Together, these practices replicate enduring beliefs of class, self-discipline, braveness, and concord between human and animal.
Horses additionally play a key function in shaping tourism and native id. In China, ethnic communities in Xinjiang and Xizang (Tibet) have preserved robust traditions of horsemanship, the place driving and racing stay integral to cultural life. When I spoke to locals whereas researching this story, many described horses not as instruments, however as companions handed down through generations.
The Ili Horse Culture and Tourism Festival in Xinjiang affords a vivid instance.
Riders display their glorious expertise through the 2025 Xinjiang Ili Heavenly Horses Culture and Tourism Festival in Zhaosu County, Xinjiang, July 19, 2025 (Photo provided)
With a historical past of greater than three many years, the competition attracts city guests into an unforgettable scene. One of its most anticipated occasions options dozens of horses galloping alongside the banks of the Tekes River, the thunder of hooves hanging the bottom in unison with piercing neighs, and water spraying into the air. Beyond the races, guests expertise native delicacies, music, dance, and equestrian performances, remodeling centuries-old traditions right into a residing cultural encounter.
The horse’s lasting attraction can be mirrored in pop-culture and design. In the lead-up to the Year of the Horse, merchandise that includes horse imagery achieve recognition. A latest instance is a stuffed horse toy known as the “Cry-Cry Horse,” with an aggrieved expression created by mistake that went viral on-line. Young individuals have been drawn to its imperfect look, discovering it relatable, playful, and emotionally genuine. In a manner, the toy displays how many individuals really feel right now: decided, barely exhausted, however nonetheless shifting ahead. Its recognition carries a strong message: even when life is imperfect, there’s energy in persevering with the journey.
Much like British “Sad Keanu” meme or the unexpectedly standard plush toys Jellycat characters in Europe and North America, China’s “Cry-Cry Horse” displays how animals illustrates how animals are reimagined in popular culture as emotional shorthand.
Beyond sport and tradition, horses are actually taking part in a stunning function in individuals’s well-being. Equine-assisted remedy permits people with psychological well being challenges, post-traumatic stress, or developmental disabilities to connect with these light animals, emphasizing belief, interplay, and sensory expertise.
Research in China has explored how driving horses can profit kids with autism. The horse’s light, rhythmic gait creates motion patterns that assist enhance stability, coordination, and hand-eye coordination. More importantly, with skilled steering, kids typically show larger focus and emotional expression whereas driving, revealing the refined resonance between people and horses.
China’s exploration of equine-assisted remedy mirrors applications in international locations corresponding to Germany, the United States, and Australia, the place therapeutic driving has been used for many years to assist veterans with PTSD and youngsters with developmental challenges. Across cultures, the horse’s calming presence constantly proves to be a strong therapeutic companion.
This deep connection between people and horses has translated into substantial financial worth. According to the Equine Business Association, the worldwide equine business, together with breeding, racing, equestrian sports activities, tools, and tourism, generates an estimated US$300 billion yearly and helps thousands and thousands of jobs worldwide. Europe accounts for roughly US$133 billion of this influence, whereas the United States contributes about US$102 billion, highlighting the horse’s ongoing significance to trendy economies.
China’s rising equestrian economic system parallels long-established horse industries in Europe and the United States. What distinguishes China is how shortly conventional horsemanship is being built-in into trendy tourism and cultural industries.
Horses have grow to be a shared cultural icon due to their pivotal function in social progress. Archaeological proof signifies that horses have been first domesticated round 3500–3000 BCE on the Botai tradition websites in northern Kazakhstan, the place residues of horse milk on ceramic shards counsel that these animals have been rigorously managed for meals and sustenance.
Over time, horses turned excess of a supply of vitamin. They have been very important companions in driving, farming, long-distance journey and commerce. They expanded human mobility – and with it, communication, commerce, and cultural change. In many societies, horses additionally got here to suggest wealth, status, and social standing, with prized breeds or ceremonial horses marking the facility and rank of their house owners.
Across civilisations, China’s reverence for horses mirrors a worldwide sample during which horses have been each trusted companions in conflict and sacred figures in perception programs. From Alexander the Great’s legendary horse Bucephalus within the Mediterranean world to the Celtic goddess Epona in Europe, horses constantly occupied the house between the human and the divine.
Throughout historical past, horses have been instrumental in warfare. On the battlefield horses weren’t merely mounts however companions whose lives have been intently tied to these of their riders.
In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a 14th-century historic novel, through the Battle of Wancheng in 197 AD, warlord Cao Cao’s steed, Jue Ying, carried him through enemy strains, urgent on even after being wounded by arrows. Across Europe, a Spanish epic recounts how the knight El Cid was carried safely through perilous battles by his trustworthy horse Babieca. These tales illustrate how horses got here to symbolise loyalty, braveness, and the deep affinity between people and animals.
A stone reduction depicting one in every of Emperor Taizong’s loyal warhorses on show on the Xi’an Beilin Museum in north-central China. The emperor commissioned six such sculptures to honor his warhorses (Picture provided)
Horses carried non secular meanings as effectively. From China’s Qin Dynasty (221 BCE), individuals honoured horse deities or spirits every spring to wish for the safety of their horses, in addition to fertility and an excellent harvest. In many different societies, horses symbolised a bridge to the non secular world, carrying prayers or blessings throughout realms. In historic India, for instance, the Ashvamedha, or royal horse sacrifice, was probably the most necessary rituals to affirm kingship, prosperity, and fertility.
Across deserts, rivers, and mountains, horses have carried humanity’s labour, creativeness, and aspirations. From festivals and rituals to remedy classes and standard tradition, they’ve grow to be a shared cultural thread that transcends borders.
Just as horses as soon as linked distant peoples and civilisations, people, too, can select to be companions slightly than rivals — shifting ahead collectively towards a shared future.
Chen Ziqi is a reporter from CGTN, one in every of China’s main media organisations.
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