Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: Buster the Horse

Today’s article was written by Michael Wermuth, Jr. If you would like to write an article for Weekly Muppet Wednesdays, please email us at muppetmindset@gmail.com!

BUSTER THE HORSE

Performed by…
Martin P. Robinson

First appearance…
Sesame Street Season 11 (1980)

Most recent appearance…
Sesame Street Season 36 (2005)

Best known role…
Forgetful Jones’ horse

WHO IS BUSTER THE HORSE?
Buster the Horse is Forgetful Jones’ horse and companion. In some early segments, Clementine helps Forgetful remember to do tasks she thinks are for him, only for it to turn out Forgetful is supposed to remember to help Buster with things, such as remembering to brush Buster’s teeth (while Buster brushes Forgetful’s) or to give Buster a bath. However, Buster is not entirely dependent on Forgetful. After all, he’s another character who can help Forgetful remember things, and Forgetful needs Buster to give him rides (after all, Buster is the one who operates the jeep).

Buster has also appeared without Forgetful Jones on many occasions. In the video release Learning About Letters, Buster appears to teach viewers that “horse” is an H word, and later embarrasses himself by dressing as a zebra for the letter Z. In Bedtime Stories and Songs, he wonders how others can sleep laying down, since horses sleep standing up. Buster and Fred the Wonder Horse once dressed as cow back-up singers when Gladys the Cow sang “Proud to be a Cow,” and on another occasion Buster and Gladys sang a song about how they are “Different Yet the Same.”

WHY DOES SESAME STREET NEED BUSTER THE HORSE?
Well, Forgetful Jones needs Buster more than Sesame Street does. After all, the more help Forgetful Jones can get in remembering things the better. And Forgetful Jones needs him when he needs to go for rides. He’s also a horse, and Sesame Street doesn’t have many other named horses.