Island Horses Head for Winter’s Rest
2009-10-15 / Front Page
Leading a team of four horses tied together is normal for this time of year, said Mark “Beau” Bielinski (left) of Mackinac Island Carriage Tours. When fewer bicycles are on the road later in the fall, up to seven can be tied together for the trip to the Arnold boat dock on Mackinac Island as the horses begin their winter migration to a farm in Pickford. Belgians Spike (from left), Jody, and Sam are joined by Percheron Madam Queen in the early morning of Thursday, October 1, as they round the corner at Cadotte Avenue and head down Market Street. Following behind are 10 other Carriage Tours horses. Tom Horn (right) and Eric Schuberg (not pictured) assisted with the journey from the barn at the top of Cadotte Avenue to the dock and the boarding of the Huron ferry for the ride to St. Ignace. By early November, approximately 300 horses will be taken off the Island for the winter, with about 14 horses remaining to provide taxi service and transport supplies. 
