Born in 1990: the Horse

1990 is a yang year, a Metal Horse. In the traditional calendar it carries the two-part name 庚午 (gēngwǔ), year 7 of the 60-year cycle. The Metal element adds a determined, disciplined and self-reliant streak to the Horse's base character (free-spirited, energetic, sociable), and this is the active, outgoing half of the cycle.

The 1990 lunar year ran from January 27, 1990 up to the day before Chinese New Year 1991 (February 15, 1991). If you were born on or after January 27, 1990 you are a Horse; if you were born earlier in 1990, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Snake. Someone born in 1990 turns 36 in 2026 (or 35 until their birthday for the year).

Calendar note: 1990's Chinese New Year fell on a Saturday, and that lunar year ran 384 days — a long, 13-month year with an inserted leap month.

What the Metal element adds

Metal is the element of autumn, structure and resolve. A Metal year sharpens focus and independence: a Metal animal knows what it wants and pursues it directly, sometimes at the cost of flexibility.

The full 60-year cycle pairs each of the 12 animals with each of the 5 elements, so a Metal Horse year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 1990 was 1930, and the next is 2050. People born in it are said to combine free-spirited and energetic with the element's determined nature. Every Horse year is yang (the active, outgoing type). See the Metal element and the full Metal Horse profile.

1990 at a glance

Animal	🐎 Horse (马)
Element	Metal
Yin or yang	yang
Traditional year name	庚午 (gēngwǔ)
Place in the 60-year cycle	7 of 60
Zodiac year runs	January 27, 1990 to February 14, 1991
Age in 2026	35–36
Traditional best match	Goat
Traditional hardest match	Rat
Lucky numbers	2, 3, 7
Lucky colors	yellow, green

Horse compatibility

In the traditional chart, a 1990 Horse gets on best with the Goat (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Tiger and Dog. The hardest pairing is the Rat, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Horse compatibility table.

Where a birthday around 1990 lands

The zodiac year does not follow the calendar year, so 1990 is spread across two calendar years. This table shows exactly which animal a birthday gets.

Birthday	Zodiac animal
January 1 to January 26, 1990	Snake (the 1989 year)
January 27, 1990 to December 31, 1990	Horse
January 1, 1991 to February 14, 1991	Horse (still the 1990 year)
February 15, 1991 onward	Goat (the 1991 year)

Zodiac years ahead for a 1990 Horse

The next own-sign year for someone born in 1990 is 2026 (this year), around age 36, then 2038, around age 48. Tradition calls this your běnmìngnián. Despite being "your" year, it is thought to clash with Tài Suì (the God of Age) and to carry a higher chance of setbacks, so many people wear red through it for protection.

The element pair: 1990 and 1991

Metal years come in pairs. 1990 is the yang year and 1991 is the yin year, the Goat. So a 1990 Horse and a 1991 Goat share an element and sit one year apart in the cycle. The traditional chart rates the Horse and Goat pairing as excellent: one of the six classic 'secret friend' pairings — a naturally supportive, stabilizing match. See the Horse and Goat pairing.

Other Horse years

1930 1942 1954 1966 1978 2002 2014 2026 2038

Full Horse personality profile →   Horse compatibility with every sign →

Know your exact birth date? Use the calculator for your full combination →

What a Metal year changes for the Horse

Talking. In conversation, a Metal Horse gets more guarded about it, saying less than it's actually thinking, which is the main way 1990's version differs from the same animal born under another element.

Work. Metal sharpens and hardens the Horse's usual working style, so a 1990 Horse tends to run things with a sharper, less negotiable edge than most. The kind of work the sign suits stays the same; the element changes how the job gets done.

Love. Metal is the element of autumn, structure and resolve, so in a relationship a Metal Horse shows affection through direct, no-nonsense gestures.

For the sign as a whole (how the Horse communicates, works and loves in every element) see the Horse profile. This page covers what is different about 1990.

Known Horses

Emma Watson was born in the 1990 lunar year, an exact Metal Horse match for this page. Other well-known Horses, from other years, include Barbra Streisand, Clint Eastwood and Harrison Ford. A shared sign says nothing about how anyone's life goes; these are simply familiar names to put to the sign.