It is the year of the horse according to the Chinese calendar. Because the Chinese calendar has a sixty year cycle this is actually the year of the wooden horse. Each of the zodiac animals have an element attached to them. I am not just an ox, I am a water ox. If you would like to know your element and animal find your birth year on this list.
Since it is the year of the horse I started thinking about Disney horses. Many Disney movies have horses in them and they are not just animals. They often have emotional ties to the humans and are important to the plot. I came up with a list of Disney horses that is far from complete. Do you have a favorite? I don’t know if I have a favorite Disney horse, I was about to say Sampson from Sleeping Beauty but certainly Maximus from Tangled is a great horse, too. I apologize to all you Frozen fans but Sven is a reindeer and therefore didn’t make my list.
Great Disney horses (mostly animated and not tearjerky)
- Samson (Sleeping Beauty) – more than willing to both help Prince Phillip fight a dragon and dump him a river.
- Major (Cinderella) – Such a good horse that he got to be human for a while
- Jaq and Gus (Cinderella) – Such good mice that they got to be horses for a while
- Phillipe (Beauty and the Beast) – Loyal to Belle and defends her from wolves
- Maximus (Tangled) – the best horse for the job, makes the soldiers look like fools
- Bullseye (Toy Story) – the best friend a cowboy could have
After looking at this list I have to say that Samson is my favorite, but I want to mention two more great literary horses, one from Disney and one not. If you have not seen the new Lone Ranger movie with Johnny Depp you should definitely rent it. Silver, the famous horse from the Lone Ranger, stole the show. He was so funny and really talented. I would like a sequel just so I can watch the horse do more great acting.
My favorite literary horse of all time is not in the Disney Universe but he is so great that I feel I must mention him. Who is this legendary horse? It is Tug from the Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan. Tug belongs to Ranger Will Treaty and is such a great horse that when you ask fans who their favorite character is they often say, “Tug.” He saves Will’s life more than once, he is funny and sarcastic (yes, we know his thoughts) and he can go for days without tiring because he is that dedicated to his job of being a Ranger’s horse. He is short and scruffy and runs rings around the imposing battle horses. Tug is a hero and he is my favorite horse. If you like adventure, friendship, and great heroism I would recommend the Ranger’s Apprentice series. It is in the children’s section, but so is Harry Potter. Happy year of the horse!!! Happiness squared.
Goofy Tip: Now that I know it is the year of the wooden horse I will have to ride the King Arthur Carrousel when I go to Disneyland. There are 72 horses to choose from and I study them carefully as I stand in line to find just the right horse. Do you know the difference between a carrousel and a merry-go-round? A carrousel only has horses while a merry-go-round has other animals and stationary seats.