What Happens to All That Horse Poop on Mackinac Island?

Admit it, you're curious too!

Carriage draft horses are the main mode of transportation on the famously car-free island. All that manure has to go somewhere, right?

Get our free mobile app

Now that the calendar has flipped to May Mackinac Island is officially open for the 2025 busy tourist season. The Grand Hotel has welcomed their first guests of the season, quaint shops such as Poppins are officially open downtown, and the ferry lines are now running more frequently to keep up with demand.

However, the horses on Mackinac Island have been hard at work since April!

Each year 16-18 horses remain on the island during the winter months to handle mail and deliveries while the majority of the horses are shipped back to the mainland. Each year we look forward to the return of the Mackinac Island horses as it's our first sign of spring's arrival.

However, as someone who has yet to make their first trek to the island herself I can't help but wonder between all the horses that fill main street and the hot summer sun-- how does the island handle all that horse manure?

Thankfully the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau is prepared with such an answer! The even have the topic listed under the FAQ section. See, I knew I wasn't the only one who was curious to know.

What happens to all the horse poop on Mackinac Island:

It’s scooped up and collected in a wheeled cart by full-time Mackinac Island Carriage Tours employees. The manure is then delivered to the City of Mackinac Island’s composting operation. Mackinac Island streets are cleaned continuously, with workers using water to flush the streets after hours.