AN EQUESTRIAN centre owner has spoken of her relief and thanks to rescuers after a fire took hold at her business.

Up to 40 horses had to be led to safety after a blaze started at the well-known Greenlands Equestrian Centre at Wreay, near Carlisle.

Staff at the busy livery yard had to take swift action to get the animals out of harm’s way as firefighters were scrambled to the scene and managed to douse the flames before problems spread.

Just before 5pm on Tuesday, a 999 call was made after the discovery of the fire, which started in a horse lorry that was being stored undercover in the yard.

It was next to a catering van in which there were bottles of gas.

Greenlands owner Mandy Wilson was in Sunderland when the fire started and was alerted by her team.

She said: “I got a phone call saying there was an emergency, there was a barn on fire and the fire brigade had been called immediately. The staff and livery evacuated the horses nearby.”

Mandy was relieved at their quick-thinking.

She added: “I’m thankful it happened when my amazing team was in.

“I have always told them just to call the emergency services first, do not try and put a fire out. It’s not worth the risk.

“If it had happened overnight and I was on my own it could have been a different result because I wouldn’t have been able to move all the animals on my own.”

Mandy said it was suspected that the cause of the fire could have been an electrical fault in the wagon.

“We were very lucky because my catering van was right next to it with full gas bottles in it,” she said.

“We we’re lucky the gas bottles didn’t go up. It could have been much worse if they had stated to explode. We would have just had to let the horses go loose, which would have created even more problems.”

Heaping more praised on her staff, she added: “They have been absolutely superb. They made sure nobody was hurt and no horses were injured.

“We’ve got a mess there, my wagon has suffered greatly, but everyone is safe which is the most important part.”

Trying to recover from the stressful 24 hours she said yesterday: “I just want to run away. I don’t want to deal with all this.

“The steel has buckled in the roof. I should have been going to shows with my daughter but we’re stuck now.”

Firefighters from both of Carlisle’s stations and Penrith were called to the scene.

A Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “ At this moment in time we’re unsure what started the fire but a full investigation will be carried out.