It is said that the Horibe clan had served the Rokkaku clan, the head family of the Sasaki clan, for generations, however, the head family was overthrown in the Oda-Toyotomi era; and subsequently, the Horibe clan came to serve the Asano clan.
堀部家は代々佐々木氏の本家である六角氏に仕えていたが、主家が織豊時代に滅びたため、浅野氏に仕えることとなったといわれている。