I was born in the year of the horse and I’m a rabid horoscope reader and a proclaimed horoscope skeptic. My skepticism is useful protection against a prediction I don’t like.

Horoscopes are written by people who study the planets but in the end put their own spin on what it all means. Since we’re masters of our own lives or should be, we can read what the year of the horse may bring using my formula: take what we like and leave what we don’t.

The Chinese believe that those born in the year of the horse have a strong need to improve themselves and they make a constant effort to do so. Horse people are probably the ones who propel self-help books to the bestseller lists.

They are also energetic, bright, warm-hearted, intelligent and able. In ancient lore they are designated ‘Qianli Ma’, meaning “a horse that covers many thousands of miles in a day. I like the sound of that but must take care not to use up too many of those miles chasing my tail.

Believe in it as year of transformation and do what you need to do to make the glass slipper fit. Believing in Magic Worked for Cinderella.

I found a list of their characteristics on ChinaTravelGuide.com