Horsemen’s Association Preserves and Enhances History

"It’s hard to describe the intense camaraderie that develops between people who ride together in all kinds of weather, sometimes soaking wet, or numb with cold, or close to heatstroke..There’s an affection blended with the toughness that seems to be part of the riding experience. Bolstered by old war stories of people getting back on their horse (after a terrible fall)..and a world far from the shopping malls."

Michael Korda,

Horse People

Welcome to Mackinac Island, to its horses, the people who care for them, and those who love them. Horse Tales will be highlighting some special stories about them in the upcoming issues of the 2005 Mackinac Island Town Crier.

W.M. Tellefson stands next to a horse and carriage in front of his Mackinac Radio Service building, which used to be at the end of the Arnold Transit dock on Mackinac Island before World War II. The people in the carriage are unidentified. (Photograph courtesy of Greg Mai

Actually, only a small percentage of residents keep a horse in their backyard, or ride or drive on the Island. Many people who live here seem to only tolerate the horse. But, for those who love them, this, indeed, is a microcosm and a horse world unto its own.

Is it a tightly knit group? Many would argue it is, but then again anyone who lives on Mackinac through its seasons tends to be a bit "clubby," especially when they’re involved with horses.

This is the time of year, in April, when it seems the hardest to believe that summer will ever arrive. Still, Island horse owners, be they commercial or private, are in planning phases. They’re starting to gear up, calculating how much hay and grain will be needed for the summer ahead. Harnesses, wagons, carriages, saddles, and bridles start to be considered, counted, and given the first cleaning.

In those considerations is, of course, the horse. Mackinac Island Carriage Tours, Cindy’s Riding Stable, Jack’s Livery, and Arrowhead’s stables begin the process of charting which animals will be brought over for the "early season," and which will arrive at a later date. As soon as the boats begin, the horses will arrive.

Private owners are also chomping at the bit, hoping that an "old retainer" has another season left in him, or that the new youngster and Mackinac will agree. The whole Island horse scene doesn’t really get into swing until mid-June, and how precious those endless days of summer are.

This past winter, a group of equine enthusiasts, members of the Mackinac Island Horse-men’s Association, added credence to their "horse club," as I’ve heard it referred to. Under the brilliance and talent of one of its members, Marta Olson, a new Web site has been added. Suffice to say, www.mackinachorses.com says a lot, and it’s worth looking at. The organization is committed to enhancing and preserving the horse heritage of the Island. Actually, the Horsemen’s Association is open to anyone who is interested in horses on Mackinac. It’s a friendly group. There is definition and enthusiasm that is catching on.

Their name was derived from an actual organization of resident carriage owners and drivers who made their livelihood from the carriage trade on Mackinac in the 1880s and 1890s. Many of these original members were directly responsible for Mackinac’s ban on automobiles in 1898. The current Horsemen’s board of directors is comprised of women. They seem to have no problem with "political correctness" when it comes to what this association and its history are about.

One of the very good things about the Horsemen’s Association is its broad Island range. The members come from all over Mackinac, Harrisonville, town, the Bluffs, British Landing, Woodbluff, Stonebrook, and Trillium Heights. Many people have become involved by having a child or grandchild involved in the summer riding program or equine lease program. Others have developed new and fast friendships through the shared joys, hard work, and sometimes heartache that being involved with horses on the Island can bring. Indeed, riding in all kinds of weather just to be able to ride or staying to take care of a sick horse instead of shopping on the mainland often takes precedence, because as we all know, there are just so many days in a season. The group has striven to work with the City of Mackinac Island, the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau, the Mackinac Island State Park, and Mackinac Island Recreational Development (MIRD).

The 2005 Horsemen’s calendar is full. Summer riding programs for the Island youth begin in June and end in September. Adults can take advantage of a formal Labor Day ride, cottagers can clean out their barns and donate horse items for a Tack Sale in July. August boasts of the 35th Mackinac Island Horse Show, as well as the separate Games Show and the Hunter Pace.

Beyond these events will be a riding clinic in July and something new, a Road Rally. The rally will be a chance for Mackinac’s horse and buggy population to hitch up the carriage and enjoy an early evening jaunt, with refreshments to follow at Great Turtle Park. I heard tell that invitations for Island carriage owners will be sent, and that the MHA might even hold a class for non-drivers who want to learn how to become a "horse holder," that is, a groom for the night.

The Mackinac Horsemen’s Association is also a not-for profit organization. The various activities have been supported by the Tack Sale, the Horse Show, memberships, private contributions, and Mackinac Island Community Foundation grants. Late in 2004, the organization adopted its new logo, a horse head coming out of a horseshoe placed in the center of an outline of the Island. T-shirts, iron patches, and key chains to help support the club can be purchased at all MHA events, or through MHA, P.O. Box 484, Mackinac Island, MI 49757. It is hoped that Islanders and visitors alike will see an abundance of these symbols this summer.

Happy Spring!

Candice Dunnigan is an active member of the American Equestrian Association, the Waterloo Hunt, and the Mackinac Island Horsemen’s Association. Seasonally she resides at Donnybrook and Easterly Cottage.