China’s sad horse plush goes viral: Neigh-ver seen anything like it

Dubai: A factory mistake has created China's most relatable toy of 2026. And honestly, same.

A red plush horse meant to smile cheerfully is now selling out across China. The reason is that someone sewed its mouth upside down, giving it the most depressed expression imaginable.

The nostrils now look like tears. The smile became a frown. The overall vibe screams "Monday morning energy."

When life gives you defective horses

Zhang Huoqing owns Happy Sister, a toy shop in Yiwu, eastern China. When the sad horse first arrived, she expected to refund the customer. Instead, the toy went viral on Chinese social media.

Now Zhang is receiving daily orders of more than 15,000 units. The factory opened 10 additional production lines just to keep up with demand.

"A lot of customers like it, and they said it makes sense: that it suits the spirit of today's corporate slaves," Zhang told Reuters.

The timing matches its reason for popularity. February 17 marks the start of the Lunar New Year and the year of the horse. The zodiac sign traditionally symbolizes high energy and hard work.

But this crying horse symbolises how everyone actually feels about work.

Why everyone relates

Chinese white-collar workers have endured the notorious 996 system for years. That means working 9am to 9pm, six days a week. The practice was outlawed in 2021, but long overtime hours remain common.

"This little horse looks so sad and pitiful, just like the way I feel at work," wrote one buyer online shared by South Morning China Post.

Another customer explained their purchase: "With this crying toy in the Year of the Horse, I hope to leave all my grievances at work behind and keep only happiness."

The 20cm tall red horse costs just 25 yuan, about Dh13.20. It features a golden collar, bell and the phrase "money comes quickly" embroidered in gold letters. Despite the optimistic message, its face tells a different story.

The ugly-cute trend

The sad horse taps into a broader trend for 'ugly-cute' toys. Characters like Pop Mart's toothy monster Labubu have proven that perfection is overrated.

"People joked that the crying horse is how you look at work, while the smiling one is how you look after work," Zhang explained.

Not everyone approves. Fellow shop owner Lou Zhenxian thinks the emotional extremes aren't healthy. "I believe you should work hard when at work and be happy after work, it shouldn't be two extreme opposites," she said.

Global demand

Wholesale orders are pouring in from South Africa, east Asia and the Middle East. The image is expected to appear on new merchandise throughout the year.

Zhang never discovered which worker made the original mistake. Her solution she shared, "Since we can't figure out exactly whose mistake it was, we'll just give everyone a bonus."

The accidental sad horse proves that sometimes the best products come from happy accidents. Or in this case, unhappy ones.

Areeba Hashmi is a trainee at Gulf News.