Poldark star Aidan Turner has said that he picked his own horse for the show in a bid to make himself appear bigger.
The actor, 34, is returning for the fourth series of the Cornwall-set saga with his trusted horse Seamus, who has been with him since the first episode of Poldark.
Turner told Radio Times: "When I first went up to Yorkshire to choose a horse, Seamus wasn't my favourite.
"Initially, I preferred a horse called Jonny Wilkinson because he's a lot bigger and quite a goer. The two of us together made trainer Mark (Atkinson) quite nervous, so he persuaded me to go with Seamus.
New series: Aidan Turner returns for Series 4Mammoth Screen/BBC/PA Wire"Cleverly, he said, 'You look great on Jonny, but you look better on Seamus - he's smaller, so he makes you look bigger.' I immediately switched horse!"
Turner, who plays Captain Ross Poldark in the BBC1 period drama, said of his affection for the animal: "I do pet and hug him a lot. And sleep on him. Between scenes I sometimes have a snooze. We really are close."
But the actor, who said he and his horse have "similar personalities", admitted his co-star Eleanor Tomlinson (Demelza) is the better rider.
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"So much for Poldark saving his damsel in distress - in reality it's more than likely the other way around!," he said.
Turner said of plans for a fifth series, rumoured to be the last: "More riding, less House of Commons, please! Because I don't know if anything will ever beat riding along that beach for me."
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A recent shot of the star in the new, fourth series showed him without his shirt on once again - sparking controversy about double standards for men and women in TV dramas.
The full interview is in the latest Radio Times magazine.
Additional reporting by Press Association.