by R.T. Fitch ~co-founder/president of Wild Horse Freedom Federation
The Year of the Horse has yet to Begin
It’s “Feel Good Sunday” and the holidays are over, maybe to the relief of some and the disappointment of others, but we are going to take a few moments and define what the ‘Year of the Horse’ REALLY means in the Chinese culture.
Over the past several days we have had a few ‘commenters” who have overstepped their freely allowed bounds and have attacked, in text, 1.3 billion Chinese citizens for the actions of a few. We will attempt to rectify that closed mindedness and those insults with a look at a culture that has been around for thousands of years longer than our European lineage.
The United States, Europe, the Americas, Africa, Australia and Asia all have issues with the humane treatment of not only animals but people. Today, we take a look at a 5,000 year old culture that will, this year, celebrate the horse.
Chinese New Year, also known as known as Spring Festival, will not occur until Jan. 31, 2014. The event is celebrated on a different day each year since the Chinese calendar is lunisolar — taking into account both the earth and moon’s movement.
In China, the holiday is the most important social and economic event of the year– traditionally linked to honoring the household, heavenly gods and ancestors. Today, China celebrates Jan. 1 as New Year’s Day, but the country continues to mark the Spring Festival as a time to spend with family and relax from work.
Typically the holiday begins on New Year’s Eve (according to the Chinese calendar) and lasts for 15 days. Families tend to clean their homes in the days leading up to the celebration but all dusts and brooms are hidden during holiday so that “good luck can not be swept away.” The holiday itself is usually spent with family, shopping, watching fireworks and in some cases — a religious ceremony honoring heaven, earth and other deities.
Each year corresponds to a different zodiac sign and animal. The Chinese zodiac consists of 12 animals that denote a person’s birth known as shengxiao: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Each of the animals is named after one favored by the Buddha and is said to influence an individual’s personality.
In 2014, it will be the year of the Horse. Known as Wu, those born during the year of the Horse tend to be clever, possess good communication skills, are cheerful and stubborn. In 2014, they are expected to have a good year and are advised to be quiet and patient. Other predications call for people to make the most out of given opportunities, expect good health and a year where romance and career will be in harmony.
For equine advocates the Year of the Horse is the year that horse slaughter will forever be shuttered in the United States and the special interest, horse destructive BLM will be brought to it’s knees ensuring the future welfare, safety and security of America’s national icon will be alive and living free for generations to come.
2014 promises to be a very good year.
Related articles
The Year of the Horse ~ rtfitchauthor.com
Categories: Horse News
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Our country and ‘civilization’ look at the rest of the world with our noses in the air. We think we’re better and our way is always best. This mindset didn’t come from our Native American Brothers but from our European ancestors.
But let me remind you that early European explorers and traders visiting China thought they were a disgusting people because they bathed everyday. The Europeans and their “we know it all” attitude thought bathing would deteriorate your health so they just kept pouring on the perfume.
It was the Chinese that taught us bathing and cleanliness is necessary for good health…how uncivilized is that?
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Thank you, R.T. Americans sure don’t have any right to throw stones at any culture after what was done to Native Americans and slaves and is still being done by our government to wildlife such as our wild horses, predators ,bison, prairie dogs, etc. Also trapping is still lawful and animal abuses happen at rodeos and horse shows. A few years ago millions of birds were poisoned by the USDA . Coyotes and groundhogs are killed on sight Then there hunting and teaching little children how to kill such as a barely 9 year old girl who recently killed her first deer. Sorry I know it’s Sunday but where is compassion and civilization in this country?
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Goodness! I hope I wasn’t misunderstood. You see, I’m a bit of a misanthropist. I hate all animal abusers equally, no matter where they come from.
Yes, animal abuse is a human thing – every culture has it’s bad examples. Europe is no exception, and nobody said it was. But we can’t brush things under the carpet, or elephants and rhinos will go extinct while we debate.
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Well, idalupine, I guess I am also one who is either misunderstood or disliked, but I find that 2.4 million donkeys slaughtered for snack food and millions of tortured and skinned alive animals for fur and food every year involves more than the actions of a few. Recently the actions of a few in China have been those courageous activists who have freed dogs who were scheduled for slaughter. Last I heard they had rescued 300 at one time and 800 at another time.
RT, you made a very sweet comment to me a few weeks ago about the loss of my beloved mare for which I will always be grateful, but yesterday you pointed a racist finger at me personally and now I must assume you are lumping me with others who you say have overstepped your bounds and attacked all the Chinese citizens, so I must ask, “Do you want me to stop blogging here?” Or perhaps I should take my thin skin and remove myself.
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Elaine, I’m maybe stepping into it here but will ask you to please not remove yourself, we, and our fellow creatures, need your voice and compassion.
It seems clear, though, that there are horrifying abuses in all countries which we can rightfully identify and try to change, but of course lumping all people of a nation into one category (racist or not) is too simple. I’m sure there are Chinese who think all Americans must be horrible due to (fill in the blank, school shootings comes to my mind), and there are surely (?) some Chinese who oppose at least some of the cruelty we are aware of.
China has nearly 1.5 Billion people, many living in dire circumstances, so the figure of 2.4 million donkeys (which I agree is horrifying) represents only a small industry there. They also have less cultural bias against eating much that we here would never consider, so there are cultural as well as circumstantial forces at work that will be difficult to address from outside that country.
We can begin with ourselves and our children. Better if we can focus our anger on specifics rather than generalities, and thereby perhaps find allies in unexpected quarters. Together we can be more effective. We need them, as we need you!
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I agree with Icyspots – please don’t stop blogging. We need everyone of us if there is going to be a stop to slaughter and to so much other cruelty. We have to stick together! I enjoy reading your posts & I’m sure many others do too. Keep it up, Elaine.
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Thank you both. Your kind words are deeply appreciated.
I did not speak against a race or a country. I spoke against a culture and not for just 2.4 million donkeys which by the way remarkably makes our 130,000 horses shipped to Mexico and Canada annually seem minor. I would have known nothing about the donkeys if RT had not posted same, but I also spoke out about a culture that also kills millions of wildlife and companion animals, cats and dogs, by torturing them brutally. I also mentioned what I knew about the few but dedicated Chinese who are trying to rescue them and doing it in huge numbers. May they succeed and eventually stop the gruesome practices. I would submit they have an even harder way to go than we do here – slaughter or round ups.
I would be just as angry and vocal if the discussion were about any other culture or society anywhere. The killing of the Brumbies drives me nearly mad and that is actually being done by the Caucasian government. Does that make me a racist, too?
Maybe, I am just being super sensitive so will leave it up to RT – I am finished with this!
Oh, and BTW, Icy Spots, you and I have had a number of interesting discussions on Word Press sites where I go by Diogenes22.
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Thank you R.T.
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YEAR OF THE HORSE !!!!!!! Lets take every opportunity, to Free Our Magnificent Horses Burros wolves and all other animals……………………… Thank You RT !!!!!for enlightening those who did not know this !!!!!We cannot throw stones when our own Glass is Dirty with Death for our Horses, all said Let us take the lead , and make this the Year of Freedom to Roam, and end Horse Slaughter… We can do this all the Planets aline in the Horses favor !!!!!! It is up to us now !!! to make this Reality for our BELOVED HORSES>>>>>>……
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Lovely Sunday piece, thank you RT.
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I like the sound of it … “Year of the Horse”.
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I agree with Barbara Warner look at what our gov. is doing you don’t have to look to hard to see what they are doing with our money !
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There are battles raging all over the globe right now…just look at our own country.
In the heat of battle, people can sometimes lose sight of WHO and WHAT are the real culprits. It’s ALWAYS a matter of following the money. Corruption knows no racial or national boundaries…AND, as we have all discovered, the media doesn’t always tell “the rest of the story” and often doesn’t even get the facts right.
The Chinese people are pushing back against the same forces that we are battling.
Their country and their people have been exploited for centuries, and yet they have endured.
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A great article, RT! Thank you for providing such interesting information as to their culture and especially “Year of the Horse”! I love the sound of it too! (-:
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Thank you for posting this.
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I love this blog! All good people here. I love all of the warm comments and Hope to contribute as I learn more. Yes, I have very high hops that “The Year of the Horse” will bring awareness and a stop to slaughter and cruelty…everywhere. Blessings to those who are trying so hard.
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thank-you r.t. beautiful piece
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Thank you for this piece. As a teacher whose career involved working in schools that drew international students, I have nothing but praise for students whose parents immigrated to the U.S. or who were adopted by American citizens through international adoptions. These students were always respectful of other students and adults. These young people were a joy to teach. Not only did they seek to make good grades, they wanted to earn the subject level mastery that good grades should reflect was also a goal for the students I had the pleasure of teaching.
One of the features associated with the Chinese culture that I admire is this drive for excellence. While our government scientific programs have fallen prey to ideology rather than science for the purpose of discovering scientific relationships, this kind of nonsense would not be tolerated in a nation that understands the importance of mathematical and scientific competence. Our country on the other hand is dumbing our students down, and it is in the interest of the federal government to keep the American people scientifically ignorant.
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