Happy Year of the Horse!
The lunar new year starts on February 17, 2026, and this year is the Year of the Fire Horse. The Chinese zodiac combines a 12-year cycle of animals (Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig) and a 5-year cycle of elements (wood, fire, earth, gold, and water). This is the first Year of the Fire Horse since 1966.
There are plenty of horse connections to the beach. Here are a few. Do you have a favorite?
Sea Horse
The Seahorse is a marine fish with a prehensile tail who breathes through its gills. The prehensile tail means it can attach and hang on to objects, and it is the only group of fish that has this feature. The seahorse is of the genus Hippocampus, the name being derived from the Ancient Greek word hippos meaning "horse" and kampos meaning "sea monster." There are 54 species of these small fish, and they usually live in shallow tropical waters.
Horse Conch
It’s no secret that Florida seashores are covered with all manner of seashells, ranging from common clams to vibrant scallops and ornate gastropods painted with eye-catching patterns. Among the most sought after shells is the Florida horse conch (Triplofusus giganteus), named the official state shell of Florida in 1969.
Precious Predators: The Life of a Florida Horse Conch
Horseshoe Crab
A few times every year, during the high tides of the warmer months, tens of thousands of horseshoe crabs crawl out of the water off the Atlantic coast. Though the bizarre sight might seem to many at first to be a massive crustacean orgy, there is actually no intercourse in the ritual. Female horseshoe crabs dig small holes in the sand and lay their eggs, while males (often four or five per female) attempt to fertilize the eggs as they emerge.
Horseshoe Crabs: Over the Moon
Wild Horses
The ship, a 56-gun Spanish warship, was the La Galga, and was driven ashore in shallow water at Assateague on the 5th of September, 1750, by a hurricane which rerouted her prearranged voyage from Havana, Cuba back to Spain and brought her to rest on the eastern shore of the United States. The ship did not entirely sink and all those aboard made away, trying to reach land. It’s said that Native Americans came to the rescue, sending out canoes to save who and what they could. It took three days for most to make the shore, and some did drown in the surf, weighted down by supplies or money bags tied to their belts. Most of the freight — the horses — survived. And their descendants live today.
Wild Horses of the Eastern Shore
Narwhal
The narwhal holds a special place in Inuit mythology and Inuit culture as a revered animal, and one look at it will tell you exactly why. This extraordinary mammal is really unlike any other in the animal kingdom. The narwhal’s scientific name of Monodon monoceros or “one-tooth one-horn” is very apt in describing what exactly makes this whale so unique. Usually found only on male narwhals, the narwhal tusk is a single canine tooth on the left side of the upper jaw that grows in a helical spiral and can reach up to 10 feet in length. The tusk contains millions of nerve endings that the narwhal uses to learn about its Arctic environment, communicate with other narwhals, and occasionally stun prey.
Horse Sculptures
In the exciting world of driftwood sculpture, two names are legend: Heather Jansch and James Doran Webb. A relatively new, commercial medium in the history of art, these two artists have set the standard for powerful, high quality sculpture. Both graciously agreed to be our featured sculptors for Glassing Magazine’s issue devoted to driftwood.
Storming the Beaches: Driftwood Horse Sculptures
Do you have a favorite?
Let us know in the comments! And, in the meantime, wishing you vitality, energy, confidence, creativity, independence, and strength this Year of the Fire Horse!
