13th December National Day of the Horse

"Horse day" can refer to several different observances, including the 

United Nations' World Horse Day on July 11th which began in 2025. In the United States, National Horse Day is observed on December 13th. Additionally, there is National Help A Horse Day on April 26th, and some countries, like Australia, have their own specific dates, such as August 1st, designated as "all horses' birthday". 

December 13th in the USA is a day to remember the economic, historic, and cultural contributions that horses have made. Equine enthusiasts across the country will get together  to show their appreciation for these majestic creatures.

Next year will be the Year of the Horse in the Chinese Zodiac, so I have begun collecting together all the books about horses in our library for a display to start the year.The Horse (⾺) is the seventh of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the  Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar.  There is a long tradition of the horse in Chinese mythology.

• The Horse and the Mysterious Drawing by Li Jian

In this book, one in a series by Li Jian which has a story for each of the zodiac animals, we get a folktale about a boy and how he changed his family's fortune.

Long ago in China, there was a little boy who lived a nomadic life with his family. Hunger and hardship followed them wherever they went. They tried to grow food once, but whenever the seeds were sown, winter came and all the seedlings became frozen.

One day, while passing by the Yellow River, the boy's white horse suddenly got free of the reins and plunged into the river. After a while, the horse sprang out of the water with a drawing on its back.

Everyone wondered what the drawing meant, but only the boy was clever enough to figure it out and explained to his family: "This drawing shows the cycle of the changing seasons. The horse wants to help us grow grains to make food. Why don't we do what is on this drawing and sow seeds in the spring, water them in the summer, and harvest in the autumn. In the winter, we need to let the earth rest."

These two books by Ed Young also show wonderful horse illustrations in a Chinese style.

General nonfiction about horses:

Some great Australian horses to read about:

  

Some picture book stories:

There are so many chapter book series about horses, but one I like that is good fun, is this one, Fables from the Stables by Gavin Puckett. It is perfect for young beginning readers.

For more books about horses that you can add to a display see this Pinterest page.