Kentucky blaze kills 8 horses
8 horses have been killed in a fire which swept through a veterinary clinic in Kentucky, USA last week (Sunday 9 February). By the time the blaze was discovered, at 6am, the barn was engulfed in flames.
Clara Fenger, who has owned the property for 17 years, told local newspapers that the cause of the fire was unknown. However, she believes 3 electrical appliances that were plugged in near the tack room may have sparked the flames.
“We had brand new electrical work done in the barn 4 years ago, and it was all to code,” said Ms Fenger. She now fears she will be forced to leave the horse industry after losing 4 well-bred yearlings destined for next year’s sales.
3 of those yearlings belonged to Ms Fenger, and were uninsured. She estimated that a year’s income went up in smoke.
2 retrained racehorses and 2 retired mares also died. However, a second barn at the premises, housing a number of in-foal mares, was not damaged by the fire.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.