Assessing horses better with the help of the 5 elements Does your horse like to present itself to an audience and is it a real eye-catcher? Then you could be the proud owner of a so-called fire horse? Or do you have a horse that always demands its food at the same time and with which you can practice the same hoofbeat figures over and over again without getting bored. Then you own a metal horse! In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the teaching of the 5 elements of fire, earth, metal, water and wood - such as Qi, Yin and Yang - influences all life processes and nutrition. This gentle way of life is also finding more and more followers in the western world. With horses, the 5 elements teach us to understand their appearance and susceptibility to disease much better. As owner or rider, you know which element in the horse stands out especially.