Common Ground

🐴❤️ Billy & Buddy Hit the Road! ❤️🐴

Billy and Buddy recently enjoyed an evening away from the farm, bringing smiles and making new friends at the Frederick Moose Riders Shrimp Feed.

❤️🐴 Our Hospice Quarterly Grief Group reminds us that no two healing journeys are ever the same.
Each gathering brings a new group of people, a new energy, and a new experience. The stories are different. The losses are different. The paths through grief are different.

Yet one thing remains constant: healing happens.

Through connection with the horses and one another, participants discover that they are not alone in their grief. They find understanding, support, and the courage to keep moving forward.
And time after time, they leave feeling a little lighter than when they arrived.

❤️ Healing Hearts Through Horses ❤️

🇺🇸🐴 Last week, we had the distinct honor of welcoming Marine veteran and Carroll Creek Rotary President Sharon Jacko to Common Ground.

After her session, Sharon shared these words:
"Thank you for guiding me through a healing session. Your presence, your insight, and the way you create space for calm and connection made the experience truly meaningful. I left with a deeper appreciation for the power of your work and the heart behind it."

There is something extraordinary that happens when we slow down, step away from the noise, and allow ourselves to be fully present with a horse. In that space, healing, clarity, and connection can emerge in ways we never expected.

Thank you, Sharon, for spending time with us and for your kind words. It was a privilege to share this experience with you. We look forward to meeting again.

❤️ Healing Hearts Through Horses ❤️

❤️🐴 Sometimes the most powerful feedback comes in just a few simple words.
Recently, Common Ground had the privilege of facilitating a decompression and team-building experience for the supervisors of Washington County's Adult, Child and Family Services Division.
After the program, the Assistant Director shared:
"To say we all needed a reset is an understatement. I left my phone on the chair for the afternoon session, and as indicated by this email, I didn't die! Go figure. Thank you for pushing all of us to step out of our comfort zones and take some healthy risks."
Leadership can be heavy. Those who spend their days supporting others often forget to care for themselves. Horses have a unique way of slowing us down, bringing us into the present moment, and reminding us that connection, trust, and vulnerability are strengths—not weaknesses.
We are honored to have held space for this incredible team to pause, reset, and reconnect with themselves and each other.
❤️ Healing Hearts Through Horses ❤️

❤️🐴 We just completed our 6-Week Hospice Trauma Recovery Group at Common Ground.
What was supposed to be the final session quickly became something else entirely—because no one was ready to say goodbye.
Throughout these six weeks, participants discovered healing, connection, understanding, and hope alongside their horses and one another. Tonight's focus was team building and recognizing something powerful: they are not alone. They have become a team—a community of support that extends far beyond the farm.

The bonds formed between participants, horses, and have been life-changing, and because of that, this group isn't ending. We're going to keep it going.

Stay tuned for information on our next 6-Week Hospice Trauma Recovery Group coming this fall. We're working on dates now and can't wait to welcome the next group on their healing journey.
❤️ Healing Hearts Through Horses ❤️

🐴 New Equine Therapist Spotlight: Moose 🐴

Moose is a Brabant Draft Horse, one of the oldest known horse breeds in the world. She came to us from Utah, and her life now is one of quiet simplicity — doing a whole lot of nothing. And honestly… she prefers it that way.
Moose does not like being alone and loves her herd deeply. A sensitive soul, she finds comfort in routine, where familiarity brings her peace, grounding, and safety.
Moose is a teacher of patience and presence. She asks for your full attention and will gently remind you to let go of the outside world with a soft nudge, guiding you back to the moment… and back to her.
If you have the chance to work with Moose, she will help you let it all go.
Moose is graciously allowed to participate in our Common Ground program by her owner, Torrey Silliman, and we are incredibly grateful for the calm, healing presence she brings to those we serve. ✨

Many think horses are just a hobby. 🐴

But they don’t see the prayers whispered into warm necks, the tears hidden in tangled manes, or the way a horse can quiet the storm inside you. 🌾🤍

Some don’t just ride horses…
we’re healed by them. ✨

We’re excited to welcome Melanie Hagan to the board of Common Ground! 🤝🐴
After a serendipitous meeting with founder Elizabeth Tate, Melanie joined the board at just the right time. Having known Elizabeth for more than a decade and witnessed the transformative impact of her work, Melanie felt called to support the mission of helping individuals heal from trauma. 💛
As a financial advisor, Melanie finds deep fulfillment in guiding clients — especially women — through significant life transitions and cycles of grief. Her professional experience has given her a strong appreciation for the emotional resilience required to navigate change, aligning naturally with the work being done at Common Ground. 🌿✨

“Witnessing the profound impact of this work during a recent women’s program at the farm left a lasting impression. It moved me in ways I didn’t expect and continues to inspire my commitment to this mission.” 🌸

Melanie is honored to support a team dedicated to fostering healing, hope, and transformation through equine-assisted therapy. 🐎🤍

This Memorial Day, we pause to remember and honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. 🇺🇸
Today is more than a long weekend — it is a day of reflection, gratitude, and remembrance for the sacrifices made so we can live with the freedoms we often take for granted.
At Common Ground, we also recognize the invisible weight many carry long after service ends. We honor not only those we have lost, but the families, friends, and communities forever changed by that sacrifice.
May we take a moment today to remember, reflect, and lead with compassion for one another. ❤️🤍💙
“Freedom is never free.”