Nowadays, because of economic development, people in Western societies are less likely to see or ride horses. People living in cities, in particular, hardly ever experience horses except through movies, paintings or books. But horse racing, and betting money on horse races, is still popular. The annual Kentucky Derby is one of the most popular sporting events in the US. In the UK, the royal police still patrol on horseback and the Queen rides in a traditional horse­drawn carriage on “ceremonial occasions”.

　　The significance of horses in the past is reflected in idioms still used in English today. For example, people still say “hold your horses” to mean “slow down”. If someone seems too proud, people might tell him or her to “get off his or her high horse”. And since horses are strong and energetic, there are expressions such as “as strong as a horse”， “workhorse” and “horsing around”.

　　Interestingly, the horse also appears in many Chinese idioms, such as qianlima, which means a talented person. Other Chinese horse idioms include madaochenggong (instant success) and baimawangzi (prince charming). Besides their physical strengths, horses have powerful brains, possessing “excellent memories”， according to Discovery News. Maybe that's why the Chinese idiom says: “An old horse never gets lost”.

　　Since the horse is honored as a symbol of vigor, loyalty, persistence and intelligence, people born in the Year of the Horse are said to share such good qualities.

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