After the tourist season ends on Mackinac Island, almost all of the workhorses that make things run so fast head to the mainland for a relaxing winter break.
“It’s usually right after Labor Day,” Jordan Wyese of Arnold Freight Company said this week. “When the carriage rounds end, a great rush of horses comes out.
Arnold Freight Company ferries have been transporting horses from the island since August.
Wyese said at least 50 draft horses will remain on the island, hauling cargo and helping visitors move through the fall season. Most will eventually be sent to various farms near Pickford, a town in the Upper Peninsula about 23 miles south of Sault Ste. Marie.
Wyese said all but a few horses will be off the island by Friday, Nov. 1. Horses begin to return in 2026. in the middle of March.
Here’s what you need to know.
How many horses work on Mackinac Island each summer?
According to the Mackinac Island Tourism Office, as many as 600 horses work on the island during peak season, from Memorial Day to early September, transporting freight to and from the docks as well as tourists around the island.
What breeds of horses are most common on the island?
Several companies offer guided tours that explore different parts of the island. Visitors can also rent horses from local stables and explore the island on horseback.
The tourism office explained that Mackinac Island Carriage Tours has Percheron and Belgian draft horses for carriage tours and training services. Hackney teams are used for weddings, and horses of a certain size are used for the Mackinac Island taxi service.
The Inn on Mackinac said there are also some friezes.
“Percherons and Belg Drafts are big, powerful horses. They can weigh anywhere from 1,800 to 2,400 pounds,” according to the Inn’s website.
Who takes care of the horses on the island?
Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine said there are several providers, including its own staff.
“Most of the 400 horses on the island are owned by Mackinac Island Carriage Tours, which was founded in 1948. and is now one of the largest and oldest enterprises of its kind in the world,” explained the college’s Insight newsletter in fall 2024.
Where do horses go in winter?
Although a couple of dozen horses remain on Mackinac Island during the off-season to deliver mail to residents year-round and transport workers, the tourism office explained that most of them go out for the winter on farms between the Mackinac Bridge and Sault Ste. Marie in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
“They’re basically on vacation,” the tourism office said.
What happens to horse poop on Mackinac Island?
According to the island’s tourism office, it is assembled and loaded onto a wheeled cart by the full-time staff of Mackinac Island Carriage Tours.
The manure is then delivered to the City of Mackinac Island’s composting operation.
Monday, 2025 September 29, a horse-drawn carriage makes its way down Main Street on Mackinac Island.
Where is Mackinac Island?
Mackinac Island is located in Lake Huron, in the Straits of Mackinac. It is a few miles from the coast and from St. Ignace, and from Mackinaw City.
How to get to Mackinac Island?
Visitors can fly into Mackinac Island Airport or take a ferry from Mackinaw City or St. Ignatius.
Jalen Williams is a popular reporter for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press: Mackinac Island horses leave to hibernate. Where do they go every fall?