From a distance, the 500-plus draft horses working on Mackinac Island during the summer might appear identical. But up close, each horse reveals its own unique personality—its “horse-onality,” if you will. Their names often reflect their distinct characteristics.
Take Zeus, for example, the tallest horse on the island, towering at 7 feet at the shoulders (or 21 hands, in horse terms). Then there’s Royce and Midnight, a powerhouse dray team you might spot hard at work around town.
From public carriage tours and private rides to hands-on horse-driving experiences and horseback adventures, Mackinac Island offers countless ways to connect with these majestic animals. Here are a few more horses you might meet during your visit:
“Chase the Happy Horse” on Mackinac Island
Chase, the only American Painted draft horse on Mackinac Island, stands out with his mostly white coat. “He’s fancy, and he knows it,” says Geoffrey Bassett, a driver with Mackinac Island Carriage Tours and author of the Mackinac Island Horse Tails children’s book series, which features Chase among its stars.
“He’s a crowd favorite because he looks different,” Bassett adds.
Chase is part of a team that pulls a three-hitch carriage on public tours of Mackinac Island, taking visitors on a scenic route from Surrey Hill to Arch Rock and back.
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Pickles the horse on Mackinac Island
Standing about 20 hands tall, Pickles is a large and impressive horse known for pulling carriages from downtown Mackinac Island up the hill past the Grand Hotel to Mackinac Island’s Surrey Hill.
Beyond his workhorse duties, Pickles has a softer side—he’s a big fan of neck scratches during grooming sessions.
“If I do it real fast, sometimes he’ll take his foot and tap the front of the stall (to tell me to keep going),” Bassett said.
“Richard the Silly Horse” on Mackinac Island
Carriage drivers usually avoid letting their horses trot, but sometimes Bassett can’t resist allowing Richard to add a little skip to his step. The Belgian draft horse moves with such flair that it almost looks like he’s dancing.
“If he were human, he’d be the kid who’s whistling and skipping in La La Land most of the time,” Bassett said. “We get him to walk normal and then we go past a crowd of people on the side and he’ll look over and do this fancy skip-walk again.”
Mustache Merle and Lady on Mackinac Island
With a distinctive patch of hair above his lip, Merle earned his “mustache” nickname years ago. He was teamed with Lady, a female Percheron, until the pair retired in 2024.
Merle and Lady were the “old married couple” of the barn, Bassett said. In their final season, they pulled shuttle carriages along one of Mackinac Island’s easiest routes, transporting visitors from downtown to Mission Point Resort.
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This is just a small peek at the many horses you’ll encounter on Mackinac Island. You might even spot some of the stars from the Mackinac Island Horse Tails series. For more stories about the beloved horses of Mackinac Island, visit The Island Bookstore.
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