Mackinac Island horses are on way to winter vacation. See the video

When the vacationer season on Mackinac Island ends, almost all the work horses that make issues run rapidly head for the mainland for a stress-free winter trip.

“It’s typically shortly after Labor Day,” Jordan Wyese, a deckhand with the Arnold Freight Company, said this week. “Once the carriage tours close down, a big inflow of the horses come off.”

The Arnold Freight Company ferries have been busy carrying horses off the island since August.

Wyese said at least 50 of the draft horses will stay on the island hauling freight and serving to guests get around during the fall season. Most ultimately shall be despatched to varied farms close to Pickford, a city in the Upper Peninsula about 23 miles south of Sault Ste. Marie.

Wyese said all but a few of the horses shall be off the island on Friday, Nov. 1. Horses start to return in mid-March 2026.

Here’s what to know.

How many horses work on Mackinac Island each summer time?

As many as 600 horses work on the Island during peak season, from Memorial Day through the starting of September, pulling freight to and from the docks, and vacationers around the island, according to the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau.

What breeds of horses are most common on the island?

Several corporations offer guided tours that explore different components of the island. Visitors also can rent horses from local stables and explore the island on horseback.

Mackinac Island Carriage Tours has Percheron and Belgian draft horses for carriage tours and dray companies, the tourism bureau explained. Hackney groups are used for weddings, while grade horses of a sure dimension are used for Mackinac Island taxi service.

The Inn on Mackinac said there also are some Friesians.

“Percherons and Belgian Drafts are large, powerful horses. They can weigh between 1,800 and 2,400 pounds,” the Inn said on its web site.

Who takes care of the horses on the island?

The Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine said there are a number of suppliers, including its employees.

“Most of the island’s 400 horses are owned by Mackinac Island Carriage Tours, which was founded in 1948 and is now among the world’s largest and oldest companies of its kind,” the school’s Insight bulletin explained in fall 2024. “So, who takes care of the horses? A dedicated team of veterinarians, including Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine alumni…”

Where do the horses go in the winter?

Although a couple dozen horses stay on Mackinac Island through the offseason delivering mail to year-round residents and transporting employees, the tourism bureau explained, most of them retire for the winter to farms between the Mackinac Bridge and Sault Ste. Marie in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

“Basically, they go on trip,” the tourism bureau said.

What occurs to the horse poop on Mackinac Island?

According to the island’s tourism bureau, it’s scooped up and collected in a wheeled cart by full-time Mackinac Island Carriage Tours workers.

The manure is then delivered to the City of Mackinac Island’s composting operation.

Where is Mackinac Island?

Mackinac Island is positioned within the Straits of Mackinac in Lake Huron. It’s a few miles offshore from both St. Ignace and Mackinaw City.

How do I get on Mackinac Island?

Visitors can fly into the Mackinac Island Airport or take a ferry from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace.

Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.

This article initially appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mackinac Island horses depart for the winter. Where they go each fall