Clive The Supreme Champion Shire Horse Makes A Neighbourly Visit To Poole Care Home

Residents at Care South’s Elizabeth House care home in Poole were delighted to welcome Clive, the Supreme Champion Shire horse and one of Britain’s greatest assets and rarest breeds into the home.

Activities Lead at Elizabeth House, Wendy organised the visit with the helping hand from a friend who Clive belongs to. Shire horses hold so much history and date back to Henry VIII, who used continental breeds to create a placid colossus, able to carry knights in armor. The Shire was also key in transporting, powering coaches, trams, and drays but from the 1920s on, the buzz of tractors, lorries and cars replaced the metronome of hooves. The wonderful gentle giant stands at 18.2hh and his sweet gentle approach touched many residents at the home who all met him. Interacting with a friendly pet is known to help residents, and everyone was so pleased to welcome Clive the Shire into the home for lots of calming strokes and interaction.

One resident, Roy comes from a family of farmers, and he used to own six shires who all worked on the farm. Roy’s father was a farmer in Hampshire and Roy followed in his footsteps by becoming a member of the Winchester Federation of Young Farmers Clubs (YFC), which was formed in the 1930s to create a social club for young people living in the countryside. YFC is a charity run by the members for the members, where money is raised internally as well as for other local charities. Once Roy had his training at YFC he went on to have a farm of his own near Eastleigh called Woodside Farm.

Wendy Harrington, Activities Lead at Elizabeth House, commented: “We were delighted to welcome Clive to Elizabeth House. He was so gentle and patient with everyone, he enjoyed all the attention and treats given to him by the residents. It brought back lots of wonderful memories from residents reminiscing about animals they had both as children and adults. It was truly a magical afternoon.”

Roy, a resident at Elizabeth House, added: “Thank you to Wendy and the team at Elizabeth House for arranging this wonderful visit. It was a very special afternoon and one that allowed me to relive some lovely memories from the past.”