Official LEGO® image · © LEGO Group and/or the respective rights holders. Source: LEGO Italy ↗

Seasonal · SET 40779

Year of the Horse

A horse for the Lunar New Year.

Pieces: 133
Release year: 2025
Theme: Seasonal
Set number: 40779
LEGO recommended age: 8+
New and sealed · indicative value: ≈ 7.00 €

Official LEGO archive Official building instructions

Indicative market reference published by Brickset for the stated condition. Not a launch price or a guaranteed offer: completeness, packaging and condition can change the price. Brickset ↗ · Reference checked on 28 October 2026

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Official English name verified at: LEGO English archive ↗ · Checked on 26 October 2026.

TIME TO BUILD

How long does it take to build Year of the Horse?

Individual build

A starting point for planning your build. Times for each experience level are editorial estimates, not measurements submitted by HowLongToBuild users.

Editorial estimate · first build

Beginner

≈ 1 h 15 minSuggested range45 min – 2 h

Intermediate

≈ 50 minSuggested range30 min – 1 h 20 min

Experienced

≈ 35 minSuggested range21 min – 56 min

Based on one person building the set for the first time, following the original instructions and using numbered bags where supplied. Includes normal piece-finding and minor adjustments; excludes long breaks, filming, dismantling and modifications. Sources may use different methods. This range is neither a statistical interval nor a limit: your build may take less or more time.

How we estimate times · sources and method

Editorial assessment: A horse for the Lunar New Year. A red and green base supports the model. A first build following the instructions, including normal piece finding; an adult may help when needed. Breaks, subsequent play and any alternative models are excluded. For older sets, unnumbered bags or previously mixed pieces may prolong sorting. No verified timed build: indicative values with substantial variation.

Sources do not always specify the builder’s experience. The three experience bands are our editorial assessment, based on the complexity of the set and individual accounts where available.

LEGO · set-specific instructions ↗
Official name, pieces, age and imagery; no timed building data.
LEGO · set manual ↗
Document for this set number. The duration is an editorial estimate, not a LEGO timing.

Checked: 26 October 2026 · Method v1.0 · Limited reports; not a statistical average.

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MAKE ROOM FOR YOUR NEXT BUILD

How much display space does it need?

Assembled-model dimensions are not yet documented for this set. Box dimensions cannot tell you how much display space it needs.

BEYOND THE BRICKS

Did you know?

The model, the history, the ideas

Inside the set

The model in the photo

The white body has a brown mane.

LEGO source

Accessories and details

A red and green base supports the model.

LEGO source

Beyond the set

The stories, places and inventions behind your build.

Twelve animals in a cycle

The Chinese zodiac associates years with twelve animals that repeat in a fixed order.

Read the full story

Chinese zodiac years follow twelve animals in a repeating order. A race legend places the rat first after riding on the ox and jumping ahead. Narrative makes the calendar sequence memorable, linking a timekeeping system with imagined animal personalities and behaviour.

Victoria and Albert Museum

An old tradition

The museum traces the association between animals and years to at least the Han dynasty, long before modern decorations.

Read the full story

V&A traces animal-year associations at least to the Han dynasty. As the tradition spread, local versions changed: Vietnam uses a cat instead of a rabbit and a water buffalo instead of an ox. Similar decorations can therefore belong to distinct cultural variants.

Victoria and Albert Museum

Expanded stories updated on 29 October 2026

Written by HowLongToBuild · Sources are linked with each story · Checked on 26 October 2026. Historical facts and story details refer to the context described.

THE COMMUNITY’S EXPERIENCE

What was it like to build?

Three separate scores from 1 to 10. For difficulty, 1 means very easy and 10 means very difficult.

No approved ratings yet. Scores are never generated by this site or inferred from the recommended age.

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Building tips from the community

Specific steps, useful checks and sticking points. Contributions appear after moderation, in their original language. Do not upload instruction pages or personal contact details.

No approved tips yet.

SET THE MOOD

A soundtrack for your build

· Selected for the building rhythm

An understated option for following the instructions and working on details, without claiming a narrative connection to the subject. This pairing follows the pace of the session; the alternatives let you change the mood.

OUR PICK

Satie: 3 Gymnopedies and Other Piano Music

Pascal Rogé

Intimate and spacious

Spotify ↗Apple Music ↗

Your listening moodChoose a different soundtrack

Editorial suggestions, not official soundtracks for the set. External services may require an account or subscription; editions and availability can vary by country. Suggest another soundtrack →

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