Today we see the new Steed of the Minstrel released to the LOTRO Store. It is store exclusive (meaning only available through the store) and a per character purchase. This steed is currently available until October 18, 2012.
Minstrels bear the burden of carrying Middle-earth’s history through song and tale. Their gifts bring merriment through a Tavern sing-along as well as boost the strength and morale of hardened warriors in the thick of battle. This Blonde Sorrel steed is delightfully decorated with ribbon, caparison, and instruments are tied to the croup. It’s a cheerful and welcoming sight for both town-folk and the front line.
Store Location: Travel & Housing → Mounts → Store Exclusive
Levels: 5+ 
1995
This mount is as fast and same morale as the previous store exclusive class mounts and other store exclusive mounts and with the same price tag.
Purchasing this steed will also allow you the use of these appearance items for your Warsteed after Rohan is released.
If it is just the stats you are looking for there are in-game alternatives. The Elf Ambassador and World Renown horses for example have equal stats but a different look, of course. If it’s the look of the horse you are enamored with, this is your only option.
October 4, 2012 at 1:19 pm
On my Twitter it says: “Limited Time Release – Now Through October 18″
October 4, 2012 at 1:31 pm
My minstrel’s not going to be caught dead riding that garish horse! I do like the instruments on the back though.
October 4, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Well Crud! They dress Minstrels in that awful purple or burgundy all the time but give us a red, blue and gold carnival ride… bleah.
I will have to think if this is worth it for my minstrel because it is just as horrid looking as the LM mount and yes I know you can dye the barding but that doesn’t change the fact that no war horse would be caught live in all that carnival wrapping, caught dead of embarassment maybe but not live.
October 4, 2012 at 1:39 pm
Haha, yeah buddy. It’s not an ugly horse but certainly isn’t anywhere in the realm of possibility when I think of riding a horse into battle. Looks like it should be leading the parade under the party tree.
October 4, 2012 at 2:09 pm
I have to agree. My mini won’t be getting this one either. Could we PLEASE get away from the horses that look like they came from My Little Pony? This horse looks like it belongs in a circus, not the battlefield.
October 4, 2012 at 3:20 pm
I’m sure if that horse was really ridden into battle it would be the first one shot down. You can’t miss that horse coming.
October 5, 2012 at 6:30 pm
I’d probably shoot my pony out from under myself. Poor shamed, embarrassed pony!
October 5, 2012 at 11:26 pm
My minstrel alt usually rides the Anniversary Steed (the white-and-gold one) and wears the whatchamacallit star cloak and the Anniversary Robe, both dyed gold.
It’s kind of garish.
This is an entirely different kind of completely non-matching garish . . .
(yes, he pretty much glows when the light hits him just right; the idea is that you will remember “that elf-kid in the lurid gold suit” better than you would remember name and repertoire of a specific minstrel, so it’s kind of his advertisement)
October 4, 2012 at 1:35 pm
I was looking forward to seeing this one, but I’m struggling to find something nice to say about it
October 4, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Class steed “outfits” will be available for battle-steeds, right?
Maybe this one could be dyed so that it doesn’t look like crap?
Maybe?
October 4, 2012 at 1:58 pm
Good point, something to try out in the next beta around
October 4, 2012 at 1:52 pm
I can’t find anything nice to say about it. My minstrel wouldn’t be caught dead riding that….. I’m an artist not a jester!
October 4, 2012 at 3:18 pm
I agree with you. The steed of the Jester has better coloring than this steed. I’m hopefull that the LOTRO cosmetics guru’s can help us out. I was so looking forward to this horse.
October 4, 2012 at 1:59 pm
I’m disappointed. My elf is not a clown.
October 4, 2012 at 2:30 pm
Four definitions of the word Minstrel and nowhere does it say clown.
min·strel/ˈminstrəl/
Noun:
A medieval singer or musician, esp. one who sang or recited poetry.
A member of a band of entertainers with blackened faces who perform songs and music ostensibly of black American origin.
min·strel (mnstrl)
n.
1. A medieval entertainer who traveled from place to place, especially to sing and recite poetry.
2.
a. A lyric poet.
b. A musician.
3. A performer in a minstrel show.
[Middle English minstral, from Old French menestrel, servant, entertainer, from Late Latin ministerilis, official in the imperial household, from Latin ministerium, ministry; see ministry.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
minstrel [ˈmɪnstrəl]
n
1. (Historical Terms) a medieval wandering musician who performed songs or recited poetry with instrumental accompaniment
2. (Performing Arts / Theatre) a performer in a minstrel show
3. Archaic or poetic any poet, musician, or singer
[from Old French menestral, from Late Latin ministeriālis an official, from Latin minister]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
October 4, 2012 at 3:21 pm
Only the Warden and Captain are still left, right?
October 4, 2012 at 5:54 pm
Think so. Getting worried about how the captain one is going to look like. Can hope for the best
October 4, 2012 at 3:21 pm
My thanks to turbine for saving me 1995TP’s. As it stands I would only use the instruments part of the skin and those are not worth it.
If there wasnt already one I’d think this was a jesters steed.
3 colours to the cloth parts so dying it may not even produce better results
October 4, 2012 at 11:09 pm
Let me use my Runekeeper visions and foretellings skills to predict the appearance of the remaining class steeds…
Yup, they’re gonna be ugly.
What’s with all these horses that are all the same icky poo tan?
As for the Steed of the Minstrel, this is obviously part of a set that includes Barbie the Minstrel’s Dream House, Barbie the Minstrel’s Dream Lute, and Barbie the Minstrel’s Steed of the Minstrel.
October 4, 2012 at 3:59 pm
Orc. Target. Practice.
October 4, 2012 at 4:17 pm
Ugggghhhhhh. Maybe with dyes it could be made presentable.. maybe.. no, probably not.
What a dud.
October 4, 2012 at 4:48 pm
My minstrel would not be caught dead riding this mount. What a disappointment.
October 4, 2012 at 4:51 pm
I like the lute on the saddle bags. In RoR if this becomes a separate cosmetic piece (without all the bright colored cloth) that we can put on our war-steeds I think it would be kind of cool to have.
October 4, 2012 at 5:29 pm
Why does it have to be so ugly though. Minstrel deserves a less brightly colored steed. Fail.
October 4, 2012 at 6:20 pm
Not spending 1995 TP’s on the off chance that you can dye it to not look like a clown. Its not a bad looking horse, I actually like the design of it, but its far too garish for my legion of Dwarfs. Will be interesting to see how many people purchase it, it doesnt look like its all that appealing judging by the comments here. Thought they would have tried extra hard with these as they have an added incentive to buying them, what with the warsteeds and all.
October 4, 2012 at 9:03 pm
It reminds me more of a bards horse, which I like, if I had the points I’d consider a mini for it.
October 4, 2012 at 9:44 pm
Though colors look much like peacock for me, design in general is nicely done. Should catch it somewhere in-game though, to form my final opinion.
Anyway, I like that headgear, the saddle and of course instruments. I don’t know if we have an option to buy war-steed class-themed appearance separately from “old mount” when RoR launchs, but imo, properly colored, a war-steed of such appearance will fit some of my fellow minstrels nicely. In any case, a lute (is it lute btw?=) and a drum look much better than two rusty swords, that look like they piercing a horse through =\
October 4, 2012 at 10:08 pm
….
JEEEEEEEEZUS CHRISTMAS THAT’S A FUGLY…
Waited a long time for this moment. And now I’ll go find a large bottle of commiseration.
October 4, 2012 at 11:31 pm
And, just like with the exposed sword on the Guardian’s mount, the instruments aren’t in cases. Because musicians LOVE having their beloved tools exposed to the elements. Yes Turbine, we could still have told that it was a lute had it been in a case.
At least these don’t cut into the horses front leg and flank every time it moves, as the Guardian’s would.
October 5, 2012 at 12:28 am
You would think Turbine would learn from the popularity of the Steed of the Hunter, the Steed of the Dusk-watch, and other steeds that look like, well, steeds rather than like clown-show cartoons.
October 5, 2012 at 3:48 am
I love my Steed of the Burglar. I bought that one the day it was released.
October 5, 2012 at 1:07 am
I think the design overall looks nice, and to be honest my first reaction upon seeing this steed was “awwww, so cute”. And it is, definitely more on the “girly” side like the LM steed was. I find this less disappointing than the LM’s steed, the colors could use some help but the design of the barding itself is at least different than what we’ve seen.
The biggest annoyance for me is that it is, once again, that flippin blonde sorrel base coat. I’m starting to see a trend with this lately in the new steeds being released and it’s getting old fast :/
October 5, 2012 at 3:27 am
If you look at medieval armour and banner colors this is not that bad as many think (but only then). In the past (before the invention of guns and rifles) armour often times was bright and colorful. The only way to distinguish friend from foe was through the colors and the need to hide from bullets wasn’t there and arrows were inaccurate enough.
But in the end I agree with you all. This is maybe fitting for a colorful Hobbit minstrel but that’s almost all and it’s definitely not fitting an elf or dwarf. I so was looking forward to this steed and now I am really not sure if I want to put so much money on it.
October 5, 2012 at 7:08 am
My minstrel’s theme color is sea blue and I couldn’t be happier with this steed. I picked it up immediately and am thrilled–it looks beautiful and I finally have something to match my gear. Seems like a minstrel would have been dressed in bright and interesting colors in order to attract attention when arriving in town. As a full-time RP musician who is moonlighting her way through the epic quests, Larksong finds this steed to be extremely suitable and is riding it with pride!
October 5, 2012 at 7:43 am
The blue on the horse is very different from the sea blue dye colour. The horse tack has a light powdery blue, not sea blue. It almost matches better with Evendim blue than sea blue. In any case, there is no matching dye colour in game. Nor for the red parts for that matter, though some gear pieces absorb that in a more muted way and come closer to the exact hue.
October 5, 2012 at 12:32 pm
Like most colors, sea blue is inconsistent and dependent upon on the piece it’s applied to. No doubt there is also some effect due to the individual computer screen–my laptop and my big screen display colors slightly differently. However, happily for me, the horse and the particular shade of sea blue that I have selected for my clothes match (or coordinate, if that makes everyone feel better *wink*) very nicely and I am happy with the steed.
October 5, 2012 at 8:35 am
I bought this. Yes, it’s garish. So is my minstrel. This horse goes well with my top hat. And yes, I’ll be using this look when I get my warsteed. If orcs think my horse is target practice, well… they’re invited to try.
October 5, 2012 at 9:16 am
I wish it had more musical references… like stitched notes in the coverings. But overall I like it.
October 5, 2012 at 12:34 pm
Thankfully, it doesn’t have pretzels on it.
October 5, 2012 at 1:18 pm
My wife, who isn’t familiar with the game at all, saw this image on my screen as I was browsing. Her immediate question: “Why is that horse dressed like a clown?”
I rest my case.
October 5, 2012 at 2:36 pm
Warden mount, blonde sorrel hedgehog.
Captain mount, blonde sorrel sedan chair carried by a herald. (Chariot or coconut shells would be too good)
October 5, 2012 at 3:01 pm
Yes, because Minstrels never dressed funny at all. Noooo… NEVER.
Oh, wait…
http://www.amazingpartythemes.com/photos/queen%20&%20minstrel.jpg
October 5, 2012 at 8:57 pm
I feel like I’m in the minority here, but I really like it.
October 6, 2012 at 1:51 am
I don’t recommend buying the pony just yet. The ribbons are all weird and oversized and seem to disappear as you rotate the camera. Someone also pointed out it looks too big for a pony and that there have been similar sizing issues with some other special mounts. So I’m pretty disappointed about that, but I sent a bug report and hopefully they’ll look into it.
Here’s screenshot I took:
http://imageshack.us/a/img35/7746/cothomini1.png
October 6, 2012 at 9:32 am
Its marginally better looking than the loremaster mount. which isnt saying much…. I wish they would keep to a ‘serious’ theme for the Class mounts, to honor the battle class that it represents. save the more fun and silly mount skins for other promotions.
so far my fav class mount is the hunter, the rest have been disappointing, lackluster in colors and trappings, or outright outrageous (lm)
October 6, 2012 at 11:21 am
This horse would force me to buy an extra cosmetic appearance slot for my Minstrel, to become a complete riding clownboat. It has its charms of course, but it’s way below the expectations I had for it after waiting so long. I could see myself buying it at a price of 1200 TP, but I’ll pass for now.
October 6, 2012 at 11:44 am
I think I am the only one who likes it : )
October 6, 2012 at 6:59 pm
Yeesh.
The design itself is nice enough, but those colours… My god what are they smoking over there???
October 6, 2012 at 7:20 pm
I think the horse is pretty and I like the insruments at the back (although there’s no fiddle), but it’s impossible to assemble a matching outfit! Why Turbine, why! At least give us more dye options! >_<
October 6, 2012 at 9:23 pm
You’ve all missed the most striking thing about that picture of the Steed of the Minstrel: they’re going to let us start playing instruments while we ride?! Hooray!
Oh, only if we are riding the Steed of the Minstrel? Boo.
October 17, 2012 at 2:36 pm
Eeh, why do I seem to be the only one who actually really likes this horse? -_0 I love the look, colours and instruments!
I doubt I’ll buy it, but I’m tempted.