Logan County horse trainers lose 44 horses in barn fire

LOGAN COUNTY, Ohio — Brandon and Cathy Brant are in disbelief as they look at their barn in Belle Center, still smoldering more than a day after a devastating fire.

The fire spread quickly, with dozens of horses trapped inside. Some fled, but 44 horses were killed.

“If you do anything with livestock, this is by far your worst nightmare. There are really no words, I have no words,” Brandon said.

“All humans are alive, but animals are your best friends, it’s really hard,” Cathy said.

RELATED: At least 44 horses killed in Logan County barn fire, officials say

The family kept their horses at the barn for their business, Brant Performance Horses.

They have been training horses since 2007 and taking them across the country for reining competitions. They had raised some of the horses since they were foals. Some of their clients' horses were also killed.

“Everyone's really lost a lot of dreams, you know, it's not just the business side of things. They’re pets for people, they’re an escape for people, we enjoy these animals, so it’s more than that,” Brandon said.

The Brants estimate they lost about 85% of their business in the fire.

“This is what we do for a living. She takes care of the paperwork, the invoicing, I do the training and we both take care of the clients and everything else. It's all we have but everything will be okay, everything will be okay. I’m optimistic,” Brandon said.

The barn also housed horses owned by Priest Performance Horses.

The owner, Eric Priest, was taken to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center due to burns he suffered while trying to save some horses. He is expected to be fine.

As news of the tragedy spread across the Internet, the equestrian community across the country quickly stepped in to help families affected by the fire.

A fundraiser for the Brant family had topped $200,000 as of Sunday evening.

A fundraiser was also held for Priest.

“I can't tell you enough about the people in our industry, some we don't even know, how they handled themselves, I have no words. They helped us. The support is incredible. We didn’t even get to see, I’m sure, a quarter of it, but we heard about it and what little we saw was pretty amazing,” Brandon and Cathy said.

The Richland Area Fire Department and State Fire Marshal are still investigating the cause of the fire.