The Wood Horse

2026:Year of the Fire Horse!

Officially the year of the Fire Horse doesn't start until February 17, this is the Chinese New Year and we'll move from the year of the Snake to the year of the Horse.And apparently we will be going from introspection to bold outward going energy! Sounds promising!

The Chinese Zodiac has 12 cycles, named after an animal. Every 12 years we have a year of the Horse,but there are other influences, such as the 5 Elements and Yin-Yang and together they make a 60 year cycle. I have always been fascinated by the 5 elements, using there in character typing for horses (but it fits humans as well)

The "5 elements" in relation to horses typically refer to the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) system of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. These elements are used to describe a horse's personality, energetic constitution, and potential health issues, and they are linked to specific meridians and organs. I have used these characteristics in my recent Partnership Challenge, in which we used the 5 Elements to understand more about our horse's personality.

5 Elements, horse personality typing

The five elements of a horse's personality are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Wood horses are dominant and fearless, Fire horses are expressive and emotional, Earth horses are reliable and calm, Metal horses are competent and responsible, and Water horses are timid and sensitive. Understanding a horse's dominant element can provide insight into its behaviour and needs, and help maintain its health and well-being.

Every horse actually possesses characteristics from all types so often you can see a mixture. Each horse has a basic personality type that can be affected by external factors. For example, training can have one effect on the type, while living conditions can have another. Seasons, aging, even gender plays a part. These influences can even temporarily alter the basic personality so much that it is no longer recognizable. The basic personality is usually best observed when the horse has the space and freedom to be itself which will also benefit its health.

To celebrate the year of the Fire Horse I will explain about each element each day.
Today is the last but not least of the 5 elements: the Wood Horse. Do you have a Wood Horse?

Personality description of the Wood Horse

The Wood horse stands in the morning, impatiently pawing the ground, eager to get to work. It wants to be the first one taken to the racetrack, show jump arena, or other work area and insists on leading the way. Competition is the Wood horses' greatest pleasure. It is determined and energetic. The Wood horse loves to run fast and jump high and dislikes authority. The Wood horse keeps a close eye on everything in its environment. It is often the driving stallion in the herd and the wood element is very much connected to testosterone.

Training the Wood Horse

This horse is difficult to train, as he competes with his trainer as well. In a way, he ends up training the trainer. His determination demands even greater resolve from his trainer. Not a horse for beginners, but for mentally strong riders, the Wood horse can be an amazing partner. In inexperienced hands, he can be a real challenge. Because of his fighting spirit, this horse sometimes needs to be protected from himself, but also from overly dominant trainers as they will very much clash. When unhappy this horse can become angry and volatile, balance of work, clear rules but fairness is crucial.

The Wood horse needs movement and prefers to use what it has learned in a performance-oriented way. This does not mean that top performance is required every time. Although the Wood horse will quickly offer this, it is the trainer's strength to avoid drawing out that maximum effort, but instead perfect the basics and protect the horse from itself. The learning pace should be calm, but the methods active and energetic.

Health awareness for the Wood Horse
Because of its nature the Wood Horse runs the risk of injuring itself. Especially ligament and tendon injuries and other connective tissue problems seem to occur more often with Wood types. They are also more prone to mud fever as their liver can get a little overworked and the skin needs to help with removing toxins from the body. For this reason, it can be good to help a Wood horse around shedding times with a liver cleanse or drainage course. In summer these horses can get eye infections from flies so a fly mask will help them a lot. This horse enjoys sour flavours; sour-tasting vegetables and fruits are favourites.

Suitable discipline:

Any sport where is can run fast, jump high and be competitive, dressage might be a bit too boring for them, as are other low key activities. These adrenaline junkies need to be protected from themselves because they easily overwork themselves.