The year of the Fire Horse, in the Chinese zodiac, begins tomorrow on Feb 17, 2026, with big celebrations in Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and throughout Southeast Asia, and with smaller-scale celebrations in Chinatowns like London, Sydney, and San Francisco.
Horses throughout history had played a major role in the invasion of nations. The Spanish used them to great effect to conquer Mexico, Peru, and other nations in Central and South America.
The Aztecs thought the Spanish knights, sitting high and grandly on their stallion steeds, were gods arriving as predicted in their legends. And so a small force of knights on horses was able to take down a great nation. Such is the irony of history and fate.
The Mongol horse was also used to conquer Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, though they were finally defeated and stopped at the Gates of Vienna.
The Mongols used the domestic Mongolian steppe horse and not the wild Przewalski’s horse, though they share a common ancient ancestry.
The Mongols did not rely on imported Arabian or European breeds for their campaigns. Their success was built on their own steppe horses, which were perfectly adapted to nomadic warfare.
They were bred for riding, endurance, and warfare. Managed in large herds by nomadic families. Trainable and accustomed to humans.
The lifestyle of the Indians of the American West was also drastically changed by the horse.
Poser: Who brought the horses to the Indians of the US? What was the other import that had a huge impact on them?
For a good book on the Indians of the American West, read The Earth is Weeping by Peter Cozzens, 2016.
LWH, Reunion dinner
CNY 16 Feb 2026