Sir Oliver and the Wild Iris Shires

Sir Oliver

This story is dedicated to everyone at Wild Iris Farm, humans and horses, who with love and patience opened doors and hearts to us. And it is dedicated to all equestrian vaulters everywhere at all skill levels. Your courage is awesome!

and the Wild Iris Shires

an adventure in curiosity

written and illustrated by

Debra Andrews2014

Sir Oliver and his friends live in a herd on Wild Iris farm on an island in Maine.

They are a breed of draft horse called Shires. They are called gentle giants - very big and strong but very friendly and gentle. Some Shires work on farms and pull plows.

They are a breed of draft horse called Shires. They are called gentle giants - very big and strong but very friendly and gentle. Some Shires work on farms and pull plows.

Sir Oliver, or Ollie, and his friends pull carriages in the nearby town of Bar Harbor.

They pull carriages and give people rides in the countryside, in parades or at weddings.

Draft or draft cross horses make excellent vaulting horses because of their easy going character and their wide backs.When they aren’t working they love to play in the fields.

All of them enjoy frolicking in the snow.

Ollie is 18 hands tall and weighs more than 2500 pounds! He is the first one at the farm to greet visitors.

One day Ollie tried something new. A group came to the farm to train in equestrian vaulting which is gymnastic dance in harmony with a moving horse.

He was very curious and learned how to carry children on his back while a trainer lunged him around in a circle in a closed arena.

Vaulters may participate individually, in pairs or as part of a team. In team competition up to three members are on the horse at once, literally supporting each other!

Ollie found he liked pulling carriages better than vaulting and has gone to a new home in Colorado to pull carriages again.

Goodbye and good luck Ollie !

Vaulters of Mount Desert Island is an equestrian vaulting club that offers recreational and competitive vaulting to all who are interested. Its mission is to provide a safe program accessible to all youth who seek the challenge. Vaulting develops balance, coordination, timing, confidence, teamwork and focus. It is gymnas-tic dance in harmony with a moving horse performed in a contolled environment with a horse, a trainer guiding the horse on a lunge line, and the vaulter. Vaulters start at a walk and move to trot and canter when they are safely ready.

Vaulters of MDI is a 501c3 non-profit organization welcoming donations and support.