Saddle up my babies, it’s National Day of the Horse.
Celebrated each year on December 13th, this day of days encourages the people of the United States to contemplate and venerate the role and contribution of horses to the history, economy, military and cultural makeup of our country.
America has a long history with horses.
The earliest relative of the modern horse, an animal known as Eohippus stood roughly a foot tall and lived some 55 million years ago. These and other prehistoric horses originated in and roamed wild throughout North America before going extinct, along with a mess of other mammals, at the end of the Pleistocene.
While horses in North America vanished, those that migrated to Asia and beyond over the Bering land bridge survived and thrived, eventually shaping the human saga through their role in hunting, farming, warring and transporting.
When the bastard colonizer Christopher Columbus came to the ‘new world’ for the second time in 1493, he brought with him smallpox, monotheism, cholera, and two dozen Andalusian horses. From there, the horse in form and function spread, with the first feral horses escaping Mexico City in 1550, followed by their footloose and saddle-free brethren.
In honor of these storied, sentient, soulful animals we bring you a list of the zodiac signs as horse breeds. Read on, ride on, right on and yippee ki-yay.
ARIES (March 21 – April 19)
Arabian horse
Aries is ruled by Mars, the planet of drive and desire, so named for the Roman god of war and gardening. In kind and in conquest, the Arabian is the oldest war horse known to man. A ‘hot-blooded breed,’ these horses are quick and spirited, able to traverse great distances and exploit fear and uncertainty in riders. Arabians are prone to aggression, loyal to their loved ones and courageous enough to ride into raids and battles alike. Due to this fearless disposition, Arabians were favored by such famed warriors as Ghengis Khan and the prophet Mohammed. Hot-blooded and built for battle? Pure cardinal firepower my friends.
TAURUS (April 20 – May 20)
Morgan horse
Taurus is a sign maligned for excessive pride and celebrated for unflinching loyalty. True to form, Morgan horses carry their heads higher than any other breed and are known as “the horse that chooses you,” on account of their dedication to those they love. Taurus rules the second house of values and possessions, worth and wealth, and apropos of this, all Morgan horses can trace their lineage to a single sire, a stallion named Figure, who was given to a man named Justin Morgan as recompense for a debt.
GEMINI (May 21 – June 20)
Andalusian horse
Gemini is ruled by Mercury, planet of the mind, the mouth and written exchange. In-kind, and in word, the Andalusian horse is a favored subject of writers like William Shakespeare who speaks to the spirt of the animal and this mutable air sign in “Henry V,” “When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes.”
In Miguel de Cervantes’ “Don Quixote,” the titular character rides a half-starved, decrepit, albeit allegedly pedigreed Andalusian horse named Rocinante. Gemini is the sign of the twins and in the novel Rocinante stands not only as Quixote’s steed but his mirror, a creature past his prime and set about on a course beyond his capacity.
Add to the rodeo that Gemini cowboy for hire Clint Eastwood favors the breed and can be seen in the saddle on an Andalusian in “High Plains Drifter.”
CANCER (June 21 – July 22)
Thessalian
Alexander the Great, believed to have been born under the stars of the crab, had himself a famous Thessalian horse named Bucephalus. Legend has it Bucephalus was the untamable sort. Skittish and temperamental, he reared up against anyone that approached him. A teenage Alexander bet his father Philip that he could soothsay the horse and so he did. Realizing Bucephalus was afraid of his own shadow Alexander coaxed him away from it, towards the sun. Taking the reins, Al mounted him and together they rode into many a battle, including the last one Alexander ever fought.
During the Battle of the Hydaspes, Bucephalus was mortally wounded and in his grief, Alexander named a town in his honor, an apropos gesture for the sentimental, sad = life leanings of his cardinal waters.
In the spirit of Bucephalus, Thessalian horses are known today to be challenging as bonding with them is trying but once trust and intimacy are secured they are loyal to the hilt, cooperative and calm. Reads to me like every Cancer since the dawn of time.
LEO (July 23 – August 22)
Shetland pony
The equine equivalent of Napoleon — himself a card-carrying Leo — the Shetland pony is wily, resilient, proud and not to be underestimated. Leo rules the fifth house of pleasure and play, childhood whims and creative pursuits, in kind and in keeping with the spirit of the sign, Shetland ponies are great at parties and comfortable at the carnival.
Special shout out to Patrick the miniature Shetland, a therapy pony, Guinness lover and the unofficial mayor of Cockington, England. Slamming drinks and spreading joy, real big time, little stature lion vibes. .
VIRGO (August 23 – September 22)
Irish Draught horse
Virgo rules the sixth house of service and is a sign associated with ceremony, temple guardianship and getting things done discreetly and efficiently. Due to their stamina and temperament, Irish Draught horses make up the majority of England’s Household Calvary Mounted Regimen and the Queen’s Guard where they are commonly used for ceremonial and guard duties. Virgo is symbolized by the Virgin and Cavalry Blacks, draught horses that meet the exacting (Virgo’s favorite word) specifications of height, color and other conformations, are normally geldings and thus sentenced to a sexless life of servitude.
LIBRA (September 23 – October 22)
Friesians
Libra is ruled by Venus, planet of aesthetics, chaise lounges, high thread counts and living/looking rich and when it comes to classic, elegant images of horse-dom, Friesians deliver. Like their zodiac counterparts, Friesian are famously willing to please. Looking the part and banking on their good looks, this breed features prominently in television and film including “Peaky Blinders,” “Chronicles of Narnia Alexander,” “Ladyhawke,” “The Mask of Zorro,” “Bridgerton,” and “Sense and Sensibility,”
SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21)
Akhal-Teke
The Akhal-Teke is an ancient hot-blooded breed that traces its origins to the Karakum desert of Turkmenistan where these animals endured scarcity of every kind and extremes of heat and cold.
Thin-skinned with a metallic sheen, Akhal-Tekes symbolize both the sensitivity and emo armor of the scorpion. Rulers of the eighth house of sex, death and regeneration, Scorpio lives close the edge and astride the survivalist spirit and ride-or-die devotion of this breed.
The Akhal-Tekes were originally the companions of nomadic tribesmen who relied on the horses for symbiotic continuance. The dedication endures, according to Spruce Pets, “Many owners say their Akhal-Tekes seem to be able to read their minds, and they only need a small gesture or whisper to direct the horses. Moreover, some Akhal-Tekes have been known to defend their owners like guard dogs, even biting other people they view as threats.”
Highly intuitive and teeth-baring when provoked? Pure Scorpio.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21)
Paint horse
Legend holds that Paint horses descended from a single sorrel-and-white stallion brought to the continent by the red-headed, conquest-drunk devil Hernando Cortes, himself a Sagittarius. Many of these horse heirs escaped for a life of roaming free and running wild (the favored pastime of the Sag ilk) throughout the Great Plains of North America.
Indigenous peoples adopted and bred these horses, endeared by their conspicuous appearance, affable nature and absolute versatility, a holy trinity of trademarks shared by members of this mutable fire sign.
CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19)
Clydesdale
A dignified workhorse built for equal parts aesthetics and efficiency? It could only be a Capricorn. Capricorn is the sign of empires and enterprise and Clydesdales were originally bred for heavy agricultural and industrial work. Caps are oft synonymous with capitalism (Ayn Rand had a sea goat stellium) and if we factor in the success of the Anheuser Busch Clydesdales campaign, no breed in history has been more bankable.
AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18)
Appaloosa
Aquarius is the sign of community and the Appaloosa is associated with the Nez Perce (Niimipu) Tribe, who bred and prized the Appaloosa for their sure-footedness in treacherous conditions and intelligent temperament. True to form I’ve met unhinged and recalcitrant water bearers but never one that lacked grit or a certain kind of genius. The high-flying individualist of the zodiac, no two are alike and in kind and in breed, the distinctive mottling of the Appaloosa guarantees the snowflake quality of each.
PISCES (February 19 – March 20)
Unicorn
Pisces is ruled by Neptune, the planet of dreams and fantasy, myth and magic. Enter the unicorn, the horned, holy steed of which dreams are made of. As per Britannica, ancient Greeks alleged that unicorns could purify poisoned waters but only be tamed by suckling at the breast of a virgin. Weird, but ok. Medieval writers used this as a metaphor for Jesus Christ (a total Pisces) who offered up salvation and was born of and nursed by, Mary, the most famous virgin in history.
In swinger slang, a unicorn refers to a single person interested in being the guest star in a couple’s threesome. As the sign of enmeshment and exploration of the edge, it tracks, folks.
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.
