Where do all the Mackinac Island horses go in the winter? Chuck thought they relaxed by sitting at a bar drinking while wearing derby caps. I adore his imagination. Sometimes I have to roll my eyes, though. We were curious and started our research.

After digging deeper, we found several farms in the upper peninsula and several phone numbers. With Chuck’s detective skills, I called the ranch that looked as if it had the widest space for a large herd. I planned to ask for an interview and / or photos of the horses for the following Saturday. I would never just show up without permission.

When Jodi answered she was wondering how I found their number. I explained with timid confidence, trying to not let my apprehension show. I silently berated myself, “maybe I really overstepped and this family wants to be left alone. After all, it had been difficult to locate their contact information.”

Jodi kindly explained that she’d have to ask her husband. “He usually feeds them between 9:00 and 10:00 in the morning.” she offered and shared that she didn’t want her picture taken or to be interviewed. BINGO! I had found the correct location. I held hope that we could secure an interview with Jodi’s husband, but I was rather doubtful.

Jodi graciously called me back later and said she still had to check with Dale. That was so sweet of her to keep me in the loop. I was honored that Jodi had taken the time to reach out to me again. The following morning she called to confirm our appointment. My excitement grew. I used to ride green horses (new, rarely ridden) western-style in my high school days. I loved barrel racing! Meeting these carriage horses would be a bucket list dream for me.

Dale and Jodi Gough

That Saturday morning we stopped at their house as Jodi requested. I held out a gift bag containing Restless Viking coffee mugs but she shook her head, “That’s not necessary.” Pointing, she directed us down the two track flanked by snow laden pine trees. “I’ll call Dale and let him know you’re here.” she nodded and shut her door against the frigid air.

With a quick scan I counted around sixty in the string. A string is a group of horses with a single owner.

Dale was waiting in his tractor at the far end of the group prepared to roll out another bale. The horses studied the vehicle’s every move, anxiously awaiting their sustenance.

Individual horses revealed their personalities / horse-alities, if you will. The brown horse pawed the ground and nudged his nose into the hay looking for the best parts to eat. The black mare trotted toward the tractor to the new selection of hay. One pushed his way between two others to find the prized nibbles. Another gracefully galloped in front of the group. These displays were entertaining to me as I recalled the various eminence of the horses I once rode. Chuck’s video captures these moments well.

Dale joined us after the hay was laid. “This is my grandfather’s land. See, I graduated from Cedarville High School. (Several miles south) When my dad died young (1976) we sold our house in Cedarville and had a trailer house on this land until we built the modular home.” Dale’s gaze would follow the horses and then return to us.

“I live on the island all summer. I come home to mow the lawn and such on a day off. See, we have Jack’s Livery, Cindy’s Stables and Gough Livery.” Chuck had asked where Dale would like to go on vacation. Dale gave a straight forward answer, “Well, when our kids were little we’d go on trips. But now,” he shrugged, “we’re happy to be here.” Dale’s devotion to the horses and his family business is impenetrable. He is completely content.

Dale has worked with Mackinac Island horses since he was five years old. It all started in 1952 with Taylor Gough, Dales’ grandfather, and his three horses: Babe (a gray mare), Pete (a bay gelding) and King (a black gelding). Taylor would rent his three horses out to tourists so they could traverse the island.

In 1953 Taylor’s sons, Jack and Burton, established Jack’s Livery on Mahoney Street. (These are the green buildings pictured above.) With the passing of their fathers in the 1970’s Jack’s sons, Reginald and William (Cindy), along with Dale, Burton’s son, took over the family business.

William’s wife Cindy had worked at the Gough stables. In 1965 she had been elected the Lilac Island Queen. She and William were married on December 20, 1969. On their anniversary in 1974, William opened Cindy’s Stable on Market Street to honor his wife. They had thirty saddle horses available for daily excursions.

Dale’s three children Veronica, Burton and Kristi along with Teddy, William and Cindy’s son, have been working as the fourth generation in the Gough Family Livery business.

At the stable and livery a Gough family member or a worker will gauge the visitor’s comfort level with horses. They allow travelers to rent individual horses or even carriages for self guided tours of the island. If you’d like, you may hire a guide or driver as well. Jack’s Livery is two blocks northwest of Main Street 7745 Mahoney and Cindy’s Stable is one block north of Main Street 7447 Market Street. It will be well worth your time to seek them out.

The Chambers Family

Napping on a Mackinac Island carriage was commonplace for the Chambers children. Sara, their mother, knew that a ride would lull a grumpy toddler to sleep. Their father. Arthur, was the third generation owner of Mackinac Island Carriage Tours. These carriages consist of the red and yellow sixteen seat carts and the large green and white transports that take a team of three horses to pull.

Bill, now the fourth generation owner of the Mackinac Island Carriage Tours, recalls being a fussy youngster and his mother hoisting him onto a carriage where his dad was sitting. She had said, “Here. Take this kid.” Bill reports that he still gets groggy when riding in one of their nearly a hundred carriages in the family owned fleet. “The first time they put us in a car, we all spit up.” Bill laughed.

Most of these centuries old styled carriages have been built by his brother, Bud, using the same methods as their great-grandfather Thomas Chambers had used. Thomas had left Ireland due to the potato famine and settled on Mackinac Island in 1830.

Thomas built a white clapboard home and stable on the corner of Market Street and Cadotte Avenue. The 170 year old structure holds many memories. Bill and Bud’s sister, Sally, lives there now.

The Chambers family along with their dear friend, Buck Sharrow, care for their three hundred horses as well as their fleet of “Brewster” style carriages. Most of their herd consists of Hackney horses. This tawny breed is known for its working strength and being highly spirited. They are ‘driving horses.’

Pulling the large green taxis are teams of three gentle giants, Percherons. These 2,000 pound magestic, clomping stallions and mares have tenacity unlike most breeds.

Caring for these creatures is a labor-intensive love as the profit margins are slim. The Chambers family devotion is admirable! The horses are fed a highly nutritious meals three times a day. They need a farrier to put on horseshoes. These must be checked daily as the stallions and mares are groomed.

As one of the few breeders of the hackney breed, Bill’s love for them shines through. “Every move you make on a colt makes an impression on them.” Bill explained, “When they’re born, even before their mother licks them off, we put our fingers in their ears, nose and mouth. That way they won’t mind being bridled later.”

Bill came back to the island in 1972 when his father passed away. He gladly rejoined the family business. Bill had earned his veternarian degree from MSU. He served in the United States Army as a veternarian during the Korean War. Bill had been residing in Minneapolis when he received the call about his father’s illness.

With newer regulations about pesticides, the horses now wear “fly coats.” These braided ropes hang over the horse from a thick band along their spine. These braids swish naturally to divert the pesty insects. Horses quickly learn to shimmy and shake to activate movement in the braids.

Why aren’t automobiles allowed on Mackinack Island?

In 1896 a few “horseless carriages” came across on the ferry boats. Their loud, disruptive manner sliced into the quiet charm of the island. The horses became skittish. The carriagemen worried that their livelihood would be in jeopardy.

The carriagemen united, led by Thomas Chambers. In 1898 the group petitioned the Mackinac Village Council to ban the use of these “dangerous horseless carriages” from the island.

Pandemonium arose daily as eighty carriages would crowd near the ferry dock. There would be dickering and bickering as the carriagemen enticed traverers disembarking from the ferry boats. In 1924 the Mackinac State Park Commision stepped in to mediate and set consistent carriage fares.

In 1947, as tourism was booming, liability insurance and the cost of caring for the horses rose steeply. Carriagemen could earn shares of stock in the company if they could provide a team of horses and a sturdy carriage. This was big step toward giving the workers a voice in the company. This created a framework for future unions to follow.

With more visitors to the island, larger carriages were needed. Bud went to work designing and building the red and yellow sixteen seat taxis that are still used today.

The fifth generation, Bill’s sons, are both involved in the family business. Brad lives on Mackinac Island and is the treasurer. Jeff is a cardiologist in Minneapolis. Bill wonders how long it will be until Jeff joins them on the island. With a raised eyebrow Bill pondered, “He calls every day to check in on things.”

A few draft horses remain on the island during the winter months. They are used to haul construction materials as businesses and homeowners renovated and update. They are used for the twice weekly deliveries to the oldest store in Michigan, Doud’s Market. Draft horses are also known by the English term Dray or Draught.

Most of the Chamber’s three hundred herkneys are loaded on ferry boats starting in August and through the month of October. The Chamber’s horses are brought to three farms in the upper peninsula. Their herds enjoy 900 tons of hay, 4,000 bushels of grain and 120 tons of “Master Mix.” Bill Chambers developed these energy pellets for his team.

Dale and Jodi Gough’s string of horses also reside on three plots of land. These teams are well cared for during their off-season vacation. When I asked Dale if he had a favorite horse, he said, “Nope.” Each horse is special.

Resources:
Dale Gough, interview
www.mict.com/history Chambers Family
Lansing State Journal and Detroit Free Press
by Louise Knott Ahern November 5, 2014
Hayley Barrett, interview