First Brier horse show draws attention to animal rescue

Children and families gather at the Brier Park Arena for the City of Brier‘s first horse show. Several horse and pony owners took turns demonstrating some of their animals’ physical prowess and unique personalities. These breeds include Arabian, Shetland and miniature horses.

Susan Ernst, who has been a Brier resident since 1976, said the horse show is a way to share horse owners’ knowledge and passion for horses to the younger generations. She said there used to be hundreds of horses in Brier and nearby communities when she first moved here. Now there are fewer than 30.

Ernst showed Tator Tot, a young Shetland pony that was rescued from an abusive owner in Texas two years ago. She pointed to the white, T-shaped lines on Tator Tot’s muzzle.

“When I got him, you couldn’t catch him or handle him,” she said. “As you can see, he has scar tissue from [when] someone had left a halter on him when he was a baby, and it grew into his skin.”

Ernst said horses and ponies have a powerful therapeutic effect on older adults in memory care, something she finds difficult to describe.

“It gives you goosebumps and tears when you see these elderly people who just haven’t seen a horse [in a long time],” she said. “[They were] all raised on a ranch or farm in their day.”

Ernst said the Brier Park Arena was built in 1984, thanks to a $60,000 grant from Snohomish County. The City provided the site under the power lines, following a detailed proposal process. She added that Boy Scouts of America Eagle candidates originally built the railings, which have been replaced and maintained over the years by other Scout troops.

“It was a lot of work,” Ernst said.