2014 January 31 -- Chinese New Year of the Horse

This is the Year of the Horse according to the Chinese zodiac. The forecast is for a healthy and prosperous year for us, although those born under a horse year should be extra careful with finances. According to wikipedia info below:

"25 January 1906 - 12 February 1907: Fire Horse
11 February 1918 - 31 January 1919: Earth Horse
30 January 1930 - 16 February 1931: Metal Horse
15 February 1942 - 4 February 1943: Water Horse
3 February 1954 - 23 February 1955: Wood Horse
21 January 1966 - 8 February 1967: Fire Horse
7 February 1978 - 27 January 1979: Earth Horse
27 January 1990 - 14 February 1991: Metal Horse
12 February 2002 - 31 January 2003: Water Horse
31 January 2014 - 18 February 2015: (yang) Wood Horse
17 February 2026 - 5 February 2027: Fire Horse
4 February 2038 - 23 January 2039: Earth Horse
The "Chinese zodiac" consists of a twelve-year cycle, each year being associated with
a certain creature. The seventh in the cycle is the Horse. One account is that the
order of the beings-of-the-year is due to their order in completing a contest of
racing across a river, in the so-called Great Race: the race being to determine which
creatures, in which order, would be the namesakes of the twelve-year cycle. The race
was run, and swum, the finishing line being across a great river. The rat and the ox
crossed easily enough (the rat hitchhiking on the ox's back). Those powerful swimmers,
tiger and dragon had little problem; nor did rabbit, with a little help from the
dragon. The horse, an excellent runner; but, not as good of a swimmer, would have been
next -- but, the snake having crossed the river by stowing away on horse's hoof, doing
a sudden dismount, gained the finish line, just in front of the startled horse. Thus,
it is said, despite the animal's general swiftness, the horse finished the race only
in the rank of the seventh position.
Horses are an important motif in Chinese mythology. There are many myths about the
horse or horses, or horse-like beings, including the pony. Chinese mythology refers to
those myths found in the historical geographic area of China. This includes myths
in Chinese and other languages, as transmitted by Han Chinese as well as other ethnic
groups (of which fifty-six are officially recognized by the current administration of
China, according to Lihui Yang, 2005:4). There are various motifs of horses in Chinese
mythology. In some cases the focus is on a horse or horses as the protagonist of the
action, in other cases they appear in a supporting role, sometimes as the locomotive
power propelling a chariot and its occupant(s). According to a cyclical Chinese
calendar system, the time period of 31 January 2014 - 18 February 2015 falls under the
category of the (yang) Wood Horse."

Here's a quick Xara design on the theme. Add your own Year of the Horse design, if you'd like, to this thread. :)

I found a picture in the public domain of a wonderful spirited Chinese horse statue and couldn't resist trying to do a general Xara rendition based on it also...

I like your idea for this Maya. This might make a good challenge. I myself sppear to be a "water horse". I just don't know when I can do anything with it.

If you get an idea and time to post a design, Larry, that would be great -- there's all year! :)

Ah, since I'm half Japanese, I am well aware of my animal symbol, as well as everyone else in my family. I'm a rabbit (hare), my sister is a dragon, my father is a monkey, and my mother, a rat (she's always hated that!) ;)

Happy New Year! :) That's cool about the animal symbols, I had to look mine up and I'm a fire rooster!:-O I love Asian art and culture. My dad and mom filled the family home with it and I've acquired a good deal of it too.

Yeah I am a wood dragon, so I have to be carefull with the firebreathing. ;o)

:) That's funny! My mom is a fire dragon and all I will say is at the age of 98 she's still a force to be reckoned with!