As part of our annual zodiac installation, February 17, 2026 marks the beginning of the Year of the Horse (马), the 7th animal in the Chinese zodiac. People born in the Year of the Horse are said to be compassionate and kind.In early China, horses were valued for their usefulness to humans—from transportation to hunting and war. Life-size clay horses and smaller figurines were placed in tombs to accompany the dead to serve similar purposes in their afterlife.