Meet the people behind a barn that houses horses and hope

In Portugal Cove-St. Philip's, there's a barn where you will find seven horses, two miniature horses and one large desire to help others.

The Stable Life offers equine assisted therapy at the busy barn mixing her love of horses and her own struggles dealing with mental illness.

"I'm a trained and certified peer supporter meaning that I also have mental health issues so I can relate to a lot of the people that come to me because of my own experience," said owner and operator Erin Gallant.

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From the barn Gallant and her small staff offer upSpirit Horse N.L., a free program to bring the animals to people who can't cometo them.

"We want to expand the work that we've already been doing to places that we might not even know want us to come yet," Gallant said.

"We're really excited about it because it's made such a difference in people's lives."

Atta (mer)b'y

The reason Gallant been able to do that is thanks to bunch of burly men dressed as mermen.

Earlier this year the Merb'ys donated the moneythey made from selling a successful calendar in 2017.

That donation more than $300,000 changed Gallant's life.

"I say to people jokingly that we were living hay bale to hay bale and there was no paychequefor me," she said. "But we were doing the work anyway, we were helping people and supporting people."

The money not only helped the group pay its bills, but is helping Gallant expand.

Now, the non-profit organization hopes an online contest will take the program further afield.

Stable Life has entered an Aviva Community Fund contest with a pitch called "Horses in Motion: Breaking Down Barriers."

The aim is to continue its work bringing the horses to different groups, including outreach visits to inmates at HerMajesty's Penitentiary and the Clarenville Correctional Centre for Women.

"We want to expand the work that we've already been doing to places that we might not even know want us to come yet," Gallant said.

The $100,000 prize would help cover cost for gasoline for the truck to transport the horses around the province and a portable corral area for the animals.

The group gets no funding, relying on volunteers who donate their time, and cover many costs from their own pockets.

Gallant said winning the contest would boost the morale of the volunteer base.

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