MACKINAC ISLAND - It's one of the surest signs of spring in Northern Michigan: The annual return of the big draft horses to Mackinac Island.

The tell-tale clip-clopping of their huge hooves caught people's ears on Friday as groups of them were walked from the downtown ferry docks up to their spring and summer stables.

"I came around the corner and there they were," said June Hetman, manager at Great Turtle Toys, a popular island shop.

"It's always kind of exciting in the spring to see all the horses coming back. The pace of the island is picking up a little bit with each boat coming in.

"The boats are all full. The luggage carts are full. It's really just a neat time of the year."

The big draft horses are typically the first ones to return to the island, brought over in loads on the ferries that cross the Straits of Mackinac from the mainland. These are the horses that typically pull the heavy loads and haul supplies. Next will come the smaller riding horses, just in time for the early summer tourist season to kick off.

The horses have been spending the winter at farms near Mackinaw City and the Upper Peninsula.

A small number of them are kept on the island each winter to help with deliveries and other work.

In past years, the island has been a quiet cocoon until around the first of May. But recently, the crowds have started coming earlier. Meaning the workers - and the horses - are now arriving earlier in the spring.

"The quiet winter is over. It's time to get back to work and get everything ready," said Hetman. Great Turtle Toys, which was remodeled over the winter, is set to open April 28.

Bikes and horses remain the two main forms of transportation on Michigan's most famous island. Cars have been banned since 1898.