When a 'neigh' leads to a 'yay!' Grand Falls-Windsor initiative pairs people with horses for mental wellness

GRAND FALLS-WINDSOR, N.L. — Helping others and using horses in the process is something Kathie Lane thought about for a long time.

The Grand Falls-Windsor resident is owner of Adventure Stables and was seeking a way to blend her love of horses with her desire to promote strong mental health. 

Lane has been working with horses for about 50 years and knows the benefits the animals can have on a person's mental wellness. 

She also saw an opportunity to promote the benefits of equine therapy.

The Stable Way was born to make that two-part dream a reality. 

“We can help people let down those barriers and, when they let them down, the healing begins,” said Lane, who became a certified equine specialist with the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association in 2019. 

A relatively new venture, the Stable Way is intended to be a peer-led mental-health initiative that incorporates horses.

"Being around horses for all of us has, I’d say, saved our lives.”

It connects people with horses in a safe and controlled environment and aims to combine the benefits of being outdoors with guided interaction.

Those interactions with the 15 horses and one donkey at the stables are conducted through peer support. 

The group will pair people with an animal and provide instruction on best practices while also helping them through the process. 

“Where we’ve all struggled with mental health, we’ve been through the system trying to get help, trying to recover through it,” said Christina Loder, one of the program’s peer supporters. “We know a lot of the struggles that exist, and we wanted to do something that was accessible for anybody. 

"Being around horses for all of us has, I’d say, saved our lives.” 

Loder is one of four peer support volunteers with the Stable Way. Each had their struggles with mental health, and the support they found at the Adventure Stables helped them immensely. 

They have experienced being a part of the barn family — as Lane calls it — and believe that’s something they can use to help others. 

It’s why they became a part of the Stable Way.   

“We’re just trying to do this for someone else now,” said peer supporter Kaitlyn Hickey. 

The program is designed to welcome anyone who feels they are struggling. They can simply call to make an appointment at the barn. 

Each appointment comes with a nominal fee that will be put back into the program. Other initiatives are free.

The group often visits seniors' homes in the area, where residents can interact with the stables’ miniature horses and the donkey through bedroom windows. 

The stable aims to be inclusive and anyone is welcome.

“There can never be too many mental-health and wellness options in the community,” said Angel Osmond, a social worker who helps peer-support supervision and consulting. 

“We can expand on that and add on to the services that already exist.” 

For those who feel they need more clinical help with their treatment, the Stable Way can refer people to its partner, AHHWellness. 

Peer supporter Amanda Rice wishes she had found Lane and the barn sooner. 

Rice said she has struggled with anxiety for most of her life. Recently, she has been dealing with complications from post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from a car accident five years ago. 

Those complications forced her to step back from a job in Gander. 

Being at the Adventure Stables and working with others for the last several months has led to a change in her wellness. It’s part of why she wants to help others.

“I wish I had gotten here earlier because it is something that I didn’t know that I needed," she said. “It is definitely a puzzle piece that I was missing.” 

Nicholas Mercer is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering central Newfoundland for SaltWire Network. 

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