The Year Of The Horse: Finding Balance, Purpose, And Forward Momentum

My social media has suddenly been flooded with the Lunar Chinese Zodiac. It’s not something I follow and as a Christian not something I give any significance, but there it was day after day, the year of the horse.  It’s a lunar year, meaning the year for this starts in mid February, so by the time this is published we will have entered the year of freedom. Seemingly last year was the year of the snake, where we shed that which does not serve us, ultimately allowing  growth. While I don’t follow any of this, I did read up on it because this does seem to be playing out. I wrote a couple months ago about transformation, and I believe this coincides with that notion, shedding the old so that we may grow. When we hear that we may think yes, I will get rid of things that are holding me back. While that seems wonderful what we hadn’t stopped to consider was sometimes the choice is not ours to make. Sometimes we are shedding things not because we want to, but because something else forced that to happen. It could be you were let go from work, a relationship lost, or for me, my emotional and support network removed. So, we are shedding and from the removal of whatever we lost, we are forced to change. Now, the more change we have to embrace the more difficult the days become. When part of the loss was an actual death, we are also grieving. Confused. Mad. Depressed. Yes, the year of the snake shed a lot, and for me, none of what I wanted or was prepared to lose.

The notion of this intrigued me. I am obsessed with watching horses and understanding their personalities. So, the thought of combining my observations with how this is viewed as some sort of foundational energy for the year was quite enticing. Apparently not only is this the year of the horse, but a ‘fire’ horse. I had to smile at that thinking when Theo decides he’s going to lope before I ask is about all the ‘fire’ I can handle. Combining the element Fire with the Horse promises to be quite a year. The zodiac states the horse signifies energy, freedom, speed, and passion associated with bold action, independence and forward momentum. While the horse certainly embodies all of these, I would add presence, alertness, and balance.

As I look toward my own transformation and address the changes, I must stay present. Nostalgia is warming, but it can also cause sadness. Longing for what once was doesn’t change the present moment, and it prohibits us from molding the future. If I’m present, I can also then be alert. I will know what is going on around me and I can make decisions based on my observations. I will see things as they are, not how I want them to be or how others tell me they are.  Horses are grounded in reality and truth so no matter how much we try to cover it up, they know. As I type this, I chuckle thinking these are also the animals that will run away from a flying plastic bag. But then again, sometimes I do that too. Not a plastic bag, per se, but avoid something that is unfamiliar.  

Balance, to me, is understanding how to be independent and part of a herd. How to keep the forward momentum while staying alert. I joke about flying plastic bags, but the truth is you can be on the trail and trotting, the horse sees a bag and reacts. With your help he determines there is no threat and continues forward. This scenario can vary greatly but we learn in those moments that once the threat is gone, we should leave it in the past and remain in the present. Balance. Staying grounded. Knowing who you are and your purpose. Sometimes to find our purpose we must shed that which no longer serves us and move forward boldly, with confidence, into our future. So, if last year you felt you lost a lot; if it seemed like everything was changing, and changing quickly, you shed old circumstances to make way for new ones. This year, the year of the Horse, we embrace our passion and we do so with the energy and freedom of the horse.

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Kimberlee & Theo

Written by Kimberlee Delany

Life begins after 50, or when you decide to learn about horses! With a passion for animals and a quest for learning, it’s not surprising I began lessons after I turned 50.

With a BS in Psychology, I spent my career in technology, starting at the help desk and landing as a technical business advisor; doing all the techie steps that are needed in-between to cross that bridge.

Continuous improvement is the name of the game.

While growing in my career, I also started a fitness journey. Over the past twenty years, I have explored a variety of sports, from triathlons to Olympic weightlifting. I have competed in local events up and down the East Coast and, most recently, the Texas State Weightlifting Championship.

It all leads to this!

When you are around horses, you notice something, something within you is awakened. It doesn’t matter how old you are, there is something to uncover. In a quest for knowledge, and the sheer experience of discovering the mystery of ‘why I feel so at peace with horses’, I became certified in Equine Assisted Learning (EAL). Now, with a desire to share this amazing journey on how horses heal, I began journaling my experiences with horses and how they teach us about life.

This article is from the February 2026 issue of Equine Business Magazine