Yasubee was born to Nakayama Yajiemon (中山 弥次右衛門), a samurai of the Shibata Domain (a han in present-day Niigata Prefecture) .
In 1694, Yasubee came to the aid of his dōjō mate and pledged uncle in a duel at Takadanobaba in Edo, killing three opponents.
In 1701, Asano Naganori was sentenced to commit seppuku as a result of an attack on Kira Yoshinaka.
In 1702, Yasubee and Yahei were among the Forty-seven Rōnin who attacked and killed Kira, avenging their late lord's death.
Horibe Yasubee has a prominent role in plays, films, and television depictions of Chūshingura, the fictionalized account of the Forty-seven Rōnin.