This is the Year of the Horse! Now I am a Tiger (yes – that’s right – a tiger squirrel! I have a picture of just such a creature HERE on this blog). My year was in 2010 and I think we can say that us Tigers gave you a good year. You are welcome.
My wife is actually a Snake. Her kind gave us last year. It wasn’t a particularly bad sort of year but let’s face it …..it wasn’t a Tiger year.
Now for those who hold stock in traditional Chinese astrology, they say that a Tiger – Snake romantic pairing is not an auspicious one and the relationship will not work well. Perhaps for that reason, when we were first dating, my wife told me that she was actually a Rabbit. Sometimes when someone asks about her Chinese astrological sign, she will still say that she is a Rabbit. To set the record straight, I tell that person that “this Rabbit speaks with forked tongue!”
So this is the Year of the Horse! Yes, well, I don’t know much about horses but I will gladly share my general ignorance with all of you dear readers.
First, my sister is a Horse. Enough said. I dare not say more. She can kick like a ……
Second, the word for horse in Chinese is “Ma” and is often one of the first words that they teach how to write when you are trying to learn Chinese. This is probably because it clearly shows the pictographic nature of many Chinese characters. The earliest character for “Ma” really resembled a picture representation for a horse and it evolved into the present day character. (see below)
Third, I actually had the privilege of seeing the Przewalski’s horse roaming wild in Mongolia (see post). The Pzewalski’s Horse is considered the only remaining truly wild horse in the world. Woohoo! Perhaps an ancestor of the horses I saw was the inspiration or model for that very first Chinese character for “Ma”.
Fourth, when I was a wee lad, the only horse I knew was the “Hoss” on TV. For me , he was the “Hoss”.
Fifth and final point; lovely button mushrooms (yum yum) are grown on horse dung (not so yum yum) and that’s no bullshit!
And that brings to and end all that I know about horses. Must go now……head feels ….kinda…….empty…..
Realm of the Lone Grey Squirrel 
A horse is a horse, of course, of course…
You just totally killed my appetite for mushrooms. Like, forever.
I can live with Horses But we both know Tigers are the best!
evilsquirrel,
A horse is a horse but squirrels are best!
Riot Kitty
Mushrooms are one of nature’s ultimate recyclers. They take something rotten like dead wood or manure and transform it into something tasty. Please don’t stop eating mushrooms but you might want to wash them a bit.
Secret Agent,
Since squirrels have been left out of the astrological charts by some great cosmic oversight, I will have to agree that Tigers are best.
You might like to know that magic mushrooms also grow in horseshit. Or, maybe that was Unicorn…
Thank you for this post on The Year of the Horse, which I just discovered is my year too. Hooray (I think)!
I only remember something on tv with a black horse, Fury ? Horse dung btw is dry and highly sought, especially by mushroom farms. In earlier days, when horses lived on the streets, collecting horse manure was a business and in large cities authorities gave out licenses for this.
Mago,
A Black horse on TV? I seem to remember a “Black Beauty”? Could be wrong. Really wasn’t into horses. Thanks for the insight into horse dung. Don’t know if it will help Riot Kitty with her newly acquired aversion to mushrooms.
Well the horse is an animal I can respect for it’s power and it’s beauty.
Joyce,
It’s true. Horses do have a certain magnificence which is why I exercised great restraint in taking the mickey out of them.