As his name suggests, Mr. Horse is an anthropomorphic horse, who makes various cameo appearances in the ‘Ren & Stimpy Show’, an animated comedy television series that was created by John Kricfalusi and originally screened on Nickleodeon for five seasons, and 52 episodes, between 1991 and 1995. For the uninititiated, the titular characters are Ren Hoek, a neurotic chihuahua, and Stimpson ‘Stimpy’ J. Cat, a dopy, but obliviously joyful, and harmless Manx cat. Mr. Horse was voiced by series creator John Kricfalusi for the first two seasons and thereafter by Billy West, who also took over the role of Ren Hoek.
Routinely bipedal, but occasionally quadrupedal – when depicting a regular horse – Mr. Horse is a rather eccentric, but nonetheless straight-talking, thoughtful character, who acts as a foil for Ren and Stimpy in some of the diverse, often bizarre, plotlines. The Ren & Stimpy Show is characterised by surreal, often disturbing, content, dark humour and satirical themes. However, Mr. Horse appears in a wide variety of smaller, intermittent roles, often unconnected to the main plot, in which his dry, sarcastic wit and deadpan delivery provide provide a perfect contrast to the main protagonists, thereby emphasising their absurdity. His oft-repeated catchphrase, “No sir, I don’t like it,” usually uttered after weighing up a product, or situation, is a recurring joke throughout his various appearances.
As such, Mr. Horse is one of the most popular recurring, supporting players in The Ren & Stimpy Show. His various roles include a tester for kitty litter, a soldier, a spokesman for the United Nations, a dog show judge, a pilot and a party guest, to name but a few. In ‘Rubber Nipple Salesmen’, which is the fifth episode of the second season, Mr. Horse plays a prospective customer who, it is strongly implied, keeps a captive walrus as a sexual slave. In the break with the norm, he displays panick-stricken paranoia, believing that Ren and Stimpy are, in fact, FBI agents. Having realised his mistake, and turned down the offer of rubber nipples, Mr. Horse produces a distressed walrus from behind his back, who implores the pair, “Call the police.”