Until Next Year: Mackinac Horses Leave the Island for Winter Vacation
It happens every year and, while it's sad for tourists, it's a welcomed break to the horses.
'Tis the season for the horses who work so hard throughout the year to make their way to their winter homes and take a much-needed break. Starting on Labor Day, the Mackinac Island horses are gradually moved off the island via boat.
They're taken across the Straits of Mackinac to the UP to heated barns at private farms in areas like Newberry and Pickford, and some are brought to the lower peninsula.
During their working summer, the horses can eat up to 50,000 calories in one day. At the beginning of the season, they're pairee up with a partner that they keep until the end of their "seasonal" job. Each ferry that departs the isalnd can hold up to 30 horses.
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