Sunday, November 4, 2012

Boarding Call


I've not had a Mackinac specific post in quite awhile, so I thought I'd share a unique to Mackinac moment with you - horses leaving for the winter, a sure sign that the "season" is over.

At the peak of the season, there's upwards of 600 horses here on the Island, all with their job to do, hauling people or freight. But they don't spend the winter here, due to the lack of pasture and the necessity/expense of hauling all their foodstuffs over via ferry.

So except for a very few, they travel to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, in small groups, to spend the winter at pasture. And that  starts with a ferry ride to the mainland.

Due to the current very low water levels, the ramp down into the ferry is pretty steep, but most of the horses take it in stride - they've made this trip before!


But occasionally, one will decide that this just isn't a good idea:


"I don't WANT to go!!!"


"I still don't want to go!!!"


"Okay, if I have too, but I still think it's a bad idea!"


"What's his problem? It's no big deal."


In the spring, the process is reversed, with the horses gradually returning - they're usual the first "seasonal" workers to arrive!

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