Horace Horsecollar

Horace Horsecollar is an animated cartoon character created by Ub Iwerks, and Walt Disney. He is an black fur anthropomorphic

horse. Including that he is one of Mickey Mouse's best friends, and the boyfriend of Clarabelle Cow. Horace first appeared as Mickey's plough horse in the cartoon "The Plowboy" in 1929. He next appeared later that same year, in "The Jazz Fool", and after that he became a regular member of the Disney supporting cast, along with Clarabelle Cow, Clara Cluck and others even more minor. Characterized as a cheerful know it all, Horace helped Mickey on his sleuthing expeditions in the comics before Goofy assumed that role.

Background

Horace has appeared frequently in cartoons from 1930 to 1932 and less frequently afterward, taking his final classic era bow in 1942. The name of Horace's official voice actor in the classic era is unknown, though Horace rarely spoke in the classic cartoons, especially the black-and-white shorts, where he made realistic horse vocalizations on account of, at the time, how he constantly transitioned himself between being an anthropomorphic horse and a normal four-legged horse.

In his earliest incarnation, Horace was presented as Mickey's four-legged plow horse. He could walk upright on his hind legs, at which time his forelegs became gloved hands; at other times, he got back down on all 4's and reverted to form. Horace mostly played bit-parts in the approximately 30 cartoon shorts in which he appeared and his character was never as fully developed as the "Fab Five". Like Goofy in his early Dippy Dawg appearances, Horace's body seemed to be formed of rubber tubing. He and Clarabelle Cow had an uncanny ability to change from somewhat normal farmyard animals into anthropomorphized beings as necessary.

Horace first appeared in the short The Plowboy as Mickey Mouse's non-speaking, domesticated horse pet and companion. He would later go on to gain a recurring spot in Mickey's shorts, living out his role as Mickey's sassy and somewhat bumbling companion. As time would go on, Horace would become more and more humanized, eventually becoming just as anthropomorphic as Mickey and Minnie.

His role would become larger in the 1930s, his biggest role being in Camping Out where, after harming a young mosquito, an army of mosquitos attack him, Mickey, Minnie and Clarabelle. Horace, however, notably steals the spotlight throughout the short, acting as the gang's primary muscle. In the end, he's able to send the mosquitos running, saving the day.

Later in the 1930s, and into the early 1940s, the frequency of Horace's appearances would greatly decline, with the character becoming more and more obscure every year, until he made his final classic era appearance in Symphony Hour, after which he was never seen properly in animation again until decades later.

Personality

Horace is a genially kind character always finding ways to help. He acts very heroic and can have quite an ego, though no one ever minds. He enjoys, outdoor activities and solving mysteries with his pal Mickey Mouse. Horace has been shown to have a small temper problem. Unlike Mickey, Horace will be the first to attack an enemy and asks questions later. Most of the time, this will get Horace and his friends into trouble.

Appearance

Horace is a tall and slender black horse with a cream face, by wearing a crimson bowler hat with a black band. He wears blue overalls with gold buttons, a red long-sleeved shirt, green bowtie, a brown horsecollar with each gold sphere on each handle, white gloves, and ocher shoes.

Popularity

In the 1990s, Horace was intended to star in a new TV series to be created for The Disney Afternoonprogramming block, titled Maximum Horsepower, intended to explain his disappearance from cartoons after the 1930s ended. The concept would be that, in 1939, Horace had gotten tired of playing bit parts and, after learning that Mickey was going to star in a segment of Fantasia, was going to demand that Walt give him a big role in that movie as well. On his way to Walt's office, however, he gets abducted by aliens who bring him halfway across the galaxy because they are in desperate need of the hero that they believe Horace is, despite his dreams of returning to Earth and resuming his acting career. Maximum Horsepower, however, never came to be.

Horace returned to the screen as a major character in the 2013 short Get A Horse!, where he, Mickey, Minnie, Clarabelle and a few other friends enjoy a day on the road before Pete arrives and kidnaps Minnie, resulting in Horace and Mickey having to rescue her.

Film Appearances

Mickey's Christmas Carol

Horace was given a small cameo. He is seen dancing with Clarabelle at Fezziewig's Christmas Party in Scrooge's past.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Horace appeared in another small cameo with all Disney Characters in the end of Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). Here, he takes the role of a non-speaking police officer.

The Prince and The Pauper

Horace Horsecollar had a bigger role as Prince Mickey's pompous tutor in the The Prince and the Pauper (1990). Horace is first seen tutoring the Prince Mickey in his studies. Later on, the Prince and Pauper Mickey Mouse trade places. Horace never notices the switch, and continues to give the "prince" the daily lessons. In the middle, Horace informs Pauper Mickey that the king is gravely ill, and advises him to visit his bedroom. That night the king passes away. So Horace, and the other royal subjects head to the church where the real Prince Mickey is to be crowned. However, Pauper Mickey ends up being caught in a scheme of the villainous Captain Pete. The real prince arrives with Pauper Mickey's friend Goofy Goof and his royal valet Donald. A battle follows, and Pete is defeated. Horace celebrates the crowning of the real prince.

Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas

Horace makes a cameo in Mickey's segment "The Gift of the Magi" when Mickey is performing for Christmas donations. In this role, Horace's color scheme is gray in contrast to his normal black tone.

TV Show Appearances

Bonkers

Horace makes a cameo appearance with Clarabelle in the Bonkers episode "CasaBonkers".

Mickey Mouse Works

Horace reappears and play a role in Mickey Mouse Works. Horace's most notable appearance is in the cartoon "Mickey's Big Break". Mickey and Donald disguise themselves as Minnie and Daisy in order to retake a picture they broke while playing football. Horace spots Mickey and Donald (dressed as Minnie and Daisy), in the dressing room. Embarrassed Horace claims he did not see anything and runs away. Horace made a cameo in the Mickey, Donald and Goofy cartoon "Locksmiths" as well as the Donald Duck cartoon "Donald's Pool".

House of Mouse

Horace reappears in House of Mouse as the club's technician, often starting up the cartoons and TV reports shown on the club's big screen; he often did this by attacking the DVD player with a mallet or punching glove. As a running gag, Mickey often asks him what is wrong, causing him to list things that are wrong in the world (i.e. "The Internet's too dang slow!"), prompting Mickey to rephrase "No, what's wrong in here?" One of his notable appearances is in the series pilot episode "The Stolen Cartoons". Pete steals the clubs cartoons by breaking into Horace's tech room and taking all cartoons. In the episode "House of Scrooge", Horace revealed his big idea to open a barn themed amusement park called Horace Land.

Mickey Mouse (2013 TV Series)

Horace, along with most of the gang, returns in the newest animated series. Here, Horace can be seen briefly in the episodes "Stayin' Cool" and "Bad Ear Day". In these two appearances, Horace wears a white tank top. Horace also appears in the background in his traditional 1920s/30s form in "Third Wheel" and also makes a cameo appearance in "The Adorable Couple" as part of a band conducted by Goofy. He also appears in the episode "¡Feliz Cumpleaños!".

Mickey and the Roadster Racers

Horace makes his big return in the Mickey and the Roadster Racers episodes "Mickey's Perfecto Day", and "Running with the Roadsters" as a popular Spanish personality named El Horace Horsecollar. He was an arrogant show-off, known for his dancing and superb racing skills. When Horace meets Goofy, he discovers that the latter's talents eclipse his own, and this developed into one-sided rivalry. However in "Running with the Roadsters", Goofy saved Horace from being run over by a bull, and the two became good friends afterwards.

Video Games

Kingdom of Hearts Birth By Sleep

Horace comes yelling for help after the Unversed infest the "Fruit Ball" Area, but Pete runs away and Aqua volunteers to help. After Aqua defeats the Unversed, Horace introduces her to The Queen. Horace then votes for Aqua as his hero. He is present to witness the announcement of the Million Dreams Award and Pete's banishment. During the ending credits, he watches Huey, Louie, and Dewey race on the rumble racing grounds.

Kingdom of Hearts II

Horace appears in the past, Timeless River. He appears along with Clara Cluck and Clarabelle Cow.

Epic Mickey

The classic black and white Horace lives in Wasteland. Having become a private detective, and good friends with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit during his time down there. Horace's black, and white version appears being the forgotten version of Horace while the current version of Horace lives in the real world of Disney.

Horace will give you some cases to find some missing items or thieves.

Epic Mickey II

Horace reappears in the sequel, with the same role as the first game. But with a new assistant, a ghost named Tedworth.

Quotes

• Wasn't Me

Trivia

• Horace is one of many characters from the classic Disney shorts to not reappear in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
• The only character that Pinto Colvig didn't voice.

Voice Actors

• Japanese : ??? (1930), ??? (1932), ??? (1933) & Atsushi Ii (1990 – Present)

• English : the late Walt Disney (1930), the late Pinto Colvig (1932), the late Billy Bletcher (1933) & Bill Farmer (1990 – Present)

all information on Horace Horace Horsecollar came from http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Horace_Horsecollar