Hundreds of animal lovers came together at the weekend to help support a stable after a fire killed three ponies.Since the Friday morning blaze, an estimated 300 people have visited the farm, often bringing food and construction supplies, to help the Graceland Stables get back on its feet.Farm owner Noel (Chopper) Jones said yesterday: “The entire horse community has really come together. We couldn’t be more thankful.”Mr Jones said he and Brenda Cardoza, owners of the Cobbs Hill stable, woke up Friday to discover a horse stable engulfed in flames.“We just woke up and it was on fire,” he said.He said they ran outside in an effort to rescue the horses, with Mr Jones suffering burns to his face, neck and hands in the process.Concerned friends and neighbours arrived on the scene to lend assistance within minutes, along with the Bermuda Fire Service, who extinguished the blaze in around 45 minutes.The colt Return to Sender and mare Bye Bye Byrd were both killed in the fire while a second mare, Tuxedo’s Lady, succumbed to its injuries later in the day.Mr Jones and Ms Cardoza were both later taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation, and Mr Jones was also treated for his burns.Still feeling the effects of the fire, Mr Jones said: “This is the first time I’ve been out since it happened.”Fellow horse owner Edward Roque said that as soon as he heard about the fire, he raced to the stables to do what he could to help. By that point, he said the fire had almost fully consumed the stables.“It was all alight. There was not a whole lot anybody could have done,” he said. “There were still a few animals in the stables so we were trying to get them out.“We got out two of the ponies and the goats, but there was another pony we just couldn’t get to. It was too far back in the stables.”His wife, Suzanne Roque, said: “All the horses were just running everywhere. I spoke to Brenda to make sure she was all right, but she was more concerned about the horses.“I was trying to keep them moving and keep them from fighting because this horse didn’t like that horse.“I took Brenda and Chopper to hospital. I’m not sure they would have gone otherwise.”Since then hundreds of well wishers have come by the Paget farm to lend a hand, drop off food and volunteer to take in displaced animals.Mrs Roque said: “This has shown Bermudians at their best. It’s as if everyone was there.“The women were doing food, the men were working, and some of the women were working alongside the men.“It’s just amazing. It’s amazing to see. This is how the Amish work. I looked at this and I thought ‘Yes. We haven’t lost this’.”Another volunteer said: “I work in construction, and I have never seen so much rubble come so quickly. At this rate you come back next week and we’ll have the new stable up.“Everyone in the horse community has just come together.”Mr Roque agreed, saying the turnout had been fantastic, in part because Mr Jones and Ms Cordoza are known across the Island as animal lovers, noting that the stables have taken in many ponies after their previous owners could no longer keep them.“They are just nice people,” Mr Roque said. “They love animals and they take good care of them.“I think people are finally coming together and helping each other, and it’s great to see. It’s amazing. It’s fantastic.”