Horace Horsecollar

Horace Horsecollar is a funny animal cartoon character created by Ub Iwerks and Walt Disney. He is an anthropomorphic horse, 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. In recent years, Horace has more commonly appeared in Mickey Mouse Works and House of Mouse.

Personality
He appeared frequently from 1930 to 1932 and less frequently afterward, making his final classic-era bow in 1942. The name of Horace's voice actor in the classic era is unknown.

Design
In his earliest incarnation, Horace was presented as Mickey Mouse'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 fours 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.

Mickey's Christmas Carol
Horace was given a small cameo in Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983) 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).

The Prince and the Pauper
Horace Horsecollar had a bigger role as Mickey's pompous tutor in the The Prince and the Pauper (1990).

Maximum Horsepower
In the 1990s, Horace was intended to star in a new TV series to be created for The Disney Afternoon, titled Maximum Horsepower, intended to explain his disappearance from the shorts after the 1930's ended. The concept would be that, in 1939, Horace had gotten tired of playing bit parts and, after learning Mickey was starring in Fantasia, was going to demand Walt to give him a starring role in that movie as well. On his way to Walt's office, though, 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.

Mickey Mouse Club
Horace appears in the opening musical number Mickey Mouse March along with many other characters from Mickey and Friends.

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.

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 comics
Horace has never really been more than a supporting character, though he has starred in numerous European comic book stories of his own. In these, he plays a much bigger role than elsewhere, accompanying Mickey on his adventures or acting as Clarabelle Cow's paramour and fiance. Clarabelle and Horace were engaged in the comics according to some 1931 and 1932 continuities, but neither ever followed through.

For a brief time, during the late 1960s, Clarabelle Cow began dating Goofy, perhaps in an attempt to give Goofy a girlfriend. The reasons for Clarabelle and Horace apparently breaking up were not given. In 1969, the character Glory-Bee was introduced as a new love interest for Goofy. In later comics, Clarabelle and Horace were a couple again. Horace is often shown being a boastful slacker, but always managing to land on his feet. One comic had a wealthy man offering to make a large donation to an orphanage in the name of anyone who can duplicate a high dive he had done many years ago. Horace's idle chat of he could easily accomplish that is overheard, and the attention is on him. While Clarabelle Cow said she would like nothing more than to see Horace choke on his own words because of his boastfulness, she prepares him for the high dive on the basis the orphanage badly needs money. When the big day come, Horace gets cold feet and runs away, but manages to collide with two crooks who were taking advantage of everyone watching the high dive to rob a bank by helicopter. Horace unlatches the sack of cash and lands right in the tank of water, which is what he was fearful of all along! The combination of thwarting the bank robbers and falling from a great height is perceived that Horace was not running away, but putting on an even tougher act, which gets him hailed as the man of the hour and the wealthy benefactor agrees to make an even larger donation for Horace. Although Clarabelle Cow was annoyed that Horace bumbled his way to greatness yet again, she is glad his efforts benefitted the orphans.

Illusion series
Horace makes appearances in Land of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse and World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

Kingdom Hearts series
Horace appears in Kingdom Hearts II, residing in Timeless River. In Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, his only other appearance, he is shown to reside in Disney Town. In Kingdom Hearts II, he does not play any essential role other than walking around the Cornerstone Hill with Clarabelle Cow and Clara Cluck. His role is greatly expanded in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, however, as he interacts with Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. It is assumed that he is still present in either Disney Town or Disney Castle during Kingdom Hearts II, but Sora never encounters him. In addition to his minor appearance in Kingdom Hearts II, one of the bonsai figures in the Courtyard of the Disney Castle bears a striking resemblance to Horace Horsecollar, in a percussionist's guise. It could very well be him, as he was the percussionist in The Band Concert.

Kingdom Hearts II
Horace made a cameo appearance in the Timeless River world of Kingdom Hearts II with many other classic Disney characters like Clarabelle Cow and Clara Cluck as one of the world's citizens.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Horace also makes an appearance in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. He is seen in Disney Town. Horace appears and quickly befriends heroine Aqua and attends the Dream Festival.

Disney TH!NK Fast
He is also a playable character in Disney TH!NK Fast. To date, this is Horace's only playable appearance in a video game.

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.

Disney Parks
Horace appears at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts as meetable character and appears in select parades at the Magic Kingdom park as well as Character Day at Disneyland.

Fantasmic!
Horace can be seen in the Fantasmic! show in Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the boat at the end.

Mickey's Boo-to-You Halloween Parade
Horace makes an appearance in the annual parade in the Magic Kingdom Park.

Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade
Horace is seen assisting Clarabelle in her bakery during the parade.