Hello, my name is Elin Gregory and I’m very pleased to be visiting Love Bytes today to tell you a little bit about my latest release – a historicalish, medievalish romp called A Taste of Copper.

This story is about the love a squire has for his grumpy knightly master. A love that is unrequited – or is it? *pause for dramatic chords*

In addition to dealing with his grumpy master, the squire, Olivier, has to deal with his master’s even grumpier war horse, Ira. I think most people are aware that horses were incredibly important in the Middle Ages.

They were by far the fastest means of land transport and riding a horse was seen as the mark of a gentleman –caballero and chevalier for instance.

Nowadays we have distinct breeds of horse but then horses were more defined by what they did. There were cart horses, ambling pads – beasts with a smooth even gait suitable for carrying an elderly or inform passenger – and the many different beasts ridden by men going to war.

The jennet was a lightweight, fast horse used by messengers or for show, but sometimes ridden into battle as well. They often had some Arabian or Barb blood and the type originated in Moorish Spain. Jennets were prized for their spirit and their stamina. This lovely beast is a type that is bred in Puerto Rico called the paso-fino, a deliberate attempt to bred back to the characteristics of the jennet of the Middle Ages.

The palfrey was another multi-use beast, strong enough to carry a man all day if on a journey, calm enough to carry a lady. This medieval illustration shows a beast with a rounded rump and a thick neck, a little like a modern Lippizaner. The rider is one of my favourite historical bods, Sir John Hawkwood, whose company of mercenary soldiers is responsible for the word for ‘robber’ still being ‘inglese’ in some parts of Italy.

The war horse, proper, was usually a stallion and wasn’t usually used for the very mannered display of skill called jousting. This required a large steady beast that could be relied upon to gallop in a straight line and not panic if its rider fell off. The knight in A Taste of Copper is put in the position of riding what he can get – Ira – who can be relied upon to fight the enemy just as effectively as he does. In recent years an attempt has been made to breed back to these heavy but spirited horses. One breeder has crossed the hot blood of the Barb with the strength and amiable personality of the Freisian to get a spectacular beast called the Warlander.

A well trained war horse could be worth as much as a hundred ordinary horses, known as jades or hobbys. To Olivier’s master Ira is worth his weight in gold.

Have you ever had an animal companion who was worth their weight in gold? If so, what would you have been able to buy with it?