Dec. 28 (UPI) -- A fire at a popular equestrian center in Connecticut killed 24 horses Thursday morning, the center's owners said.
A barn at the Folly Farm in Simsbury, Conn., caught on fire around 7 a.m. After firefighters brought the blaze under control, two dozen horses inside the barn were found dead due to smoke inhalation.
The horses that died were part of the farm’s riding and polo schools and three were privately owned, said farm general manager Alison Patricelli in a follow-up statement.
“These gentle souls taught hundreds of children and adults how to ride, to play polo, and to love through the years,” said Patricelli. “They were the heart and soul of Folly Farm and of our lives.”
Nineteen horses housed in other barns were not injured in the fire, she said.
“I was heartbroken there’s no other words for it and I will continue to be for a while,” Andrew Davis, who lost his horse Columbiana, told NBC Connecticut.
Despite the tragedy, Davis said the care at Folly Farm was “amazing.”
Firefighters were called to the farm around 6:45 a.m. Thursday, Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company spokeswoman Kitty Vangunten told NBC News.
Responding firefighters discovered heavy smoke and some structural damage at the site of the fire, she said.
"There were 24 horses in the barn and all 24 died of smoke inhalation," she said, adding that no people or firefighters were injured by the fire.
The fire marshal's office determined on Thursday afternoon that the cause of the fire was accidental, Vangunten said.
While they were continuing to investigate the fire, they believe it started in the storage room in the center of the stall area, she added.
Vangunten said Fire Marshall Kevin Kowalski told her: "We believe the fire was smoldering for hours."
The 175-acre farm offers polo instruction, horse riding instruction, horse boarding and the Simsbury Polo Club.
"There are no words to express our sorrow this morning," the Folly Farm said in a statement on Facebook. "The fire department is still investigating the possible cause of the fire in our arena barn however 24 of our beloved horses have passed away due to smoke inhalation. Our hearts are broken. These horses and our clients are our family. Thank you to everyone for the outpouring of support."
The Simsbury Fire Department was investigating the cause of the blaze, but the fire marshal believes the fire may have been caused accidentally, WTNH-TV reported.
Alison Patricelli, general manager of Folly Farm, said most of the horses that died Thursday were used to teach riding and polo.
"These gentle souls taught hundreds of children and adults how to ride, to play polo, and to love through the years," she said, according to NBC Connecticut. "They were the heart and soul of Folly Farm and of our lives."
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