MACKINAC ISLAND (WWJ) - As the promise of spring approaches the Mitten State, we often associate the warming weather with cheering at Comerica Park, the chirping of robins in the morning and the sound of motorcycles in the streets, but for those on Mackinac Island, the return of horses marks the official start to the season.
“They seem to know what time of year it is," Ron Atkins, of Mackinac Island Carriage Tours, told The Detroit Free Press while looking over the herd. "Many of them have been doing this for years."
Atkins is responsible for the transportation of the island's most famous residents, who spend their winters in an open pasture near Pickford in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
But as the days grow longer and the weather warms up, the horses make their triumphant return to Michigan's most famous island, located in Lake Huron between the state's upper and lower peninsulas, by way of trailer and ferry.
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The big draft horses are bred specifically for working and pulling; they have been essential to life on the island since the late 1800s and have become synonymous with Mackinac.
The towering animals are also known for their gentle and calm nature, which makes them perfect for the types of jobs they perform around the island.
"They have to be trustworthy because there are so many distractions, bicycles, pedestrians and other carriages,” said Atkins.
The horses are used for carriage rides, freight delivery and even trash pick- up as no cars are allowed on Mackinac Island with the exception of a select few emergency vehicles.
Atkins said the horses are transported from their winter pastures to the island by trailer. Six to eight horses are loaded up at a time and driven to the Arnold Freight ferry dock at St. Ignace; they are then taken by boat to the island, truck, trailer and all.
The first horses that arrive will work to establish freight service and will help business get ready for the tourist season.
“Generally by the middle of April, I’m going five days a week with eight horses at a time. By the first week of June, I’ve got roughly 300 on the island,” said Atkins.
Over 500 horses end up on Mackinac Island during the summer months and most are used for commerce; fewer than 100 are used for pleasure and trail riding and even less are owned privately.
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Jim Pettit, a Mackinac Island Carriage Tour employee working at the Grand Hotel stables, said the horses are critical as the island prepares for tourists.
“Pretty much from now until Memorial Day, we will be hit hard getting ready for the season,” he said to The Detroit Free Press.
The horses are sized for new equipment and fresh horse shoves once they are settled in the stables. From there, the work begins and Atkins said the horses are ready for it.
“It takes a good horse to be on Mackinac Island."
