A fire at WinterSpring Dressage—owned and operated by Michael and Sue Thome—took the lives of nine horses on Aug. 10.
Around 10 p.m. a driver saw the fire and stopped to alert the Thomes. Although the horses are typically turned out overnight, a cool rain prompted the Thomes to bring them inside. The Thomes owned two of the horses and seven were owned by clients.
“[The cause of the fire] is still undetermined,” said Sue, adding that the barn, indoor arena and around $50,000 of equipment were completely destroyed by the flames. The barn was built in 2006. “It was in very, very good condition, and everything was clean.”
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The Thomes started building the dressage training facility near Carson City, Mich., in 1997, and developed it into a full-service facility. Visit the WinterSpring Dressage facebook page for information on how to help.
