Common Ground

Common Ground We harness the powerful connection between horses and humans to teach, learn, grow, and heal. Look out for moe to come and opportunities to serve!

Mission Statement
We harness the powerful connection between horses and humans to teach, learn, grow, and heal. Vision Statement
Common Ground envisions a world where the healing connection between horses and humans is available to everyone, and all participants learn how to problem solve and move forward in their own lives. Who We Serve
We proudly serve our beloved military, first responders, pro

fessionals, and numerous at-risk groups. How We Work
Common Ground offers Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) techniques to create opportunities for people to learn life skills, heal from trauma, reduce stress, become self-confident, and achieve an overall sense of accomplishment and well-being through the experience of trusting their equine teacher.

Many think horses are just a hobby. 🐴But they don’t see the prayers whispered into warm necks, the tears hidden in tangl...
05/29/2026

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 Eliza...
05/27/2026

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...
05/25/2026

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.”

🌟 Volunteer Spotlight: Kelley Flanders 🌟Today we are shining a light on Kelley Flanders for the compassion, dedication, ...
05/21/2026

🌟 Volunteer Spotlight: Kelley Flanders 🌟
Today we are shining a light on Kelley Flanders for the compassion, dedication, and heart she brings to our mission. Volunteers brought her grandkids to visit the horses and just like Kelley they were able to create meaningful moments of healing, connection, and hope as a family.
Kelley has been with Common Ground since the very beginning in 2017! Her dedication to equine-assisted learning and helping others is truly unmatched. 💙
“I love being in this space because I learn a lot. On the periphery I also get to experience the therapy and absorb what the horses have to offer. Helping people with mental health wellness is my passion. We make THE BEST DAMN TEAM EVER!!!”
She also shared:
“I love horses so I get to combine my passions to add tools to my toolbox, help others, and spend time with horses.”
Her willingness to show up, support others, and share kindness reminds us that even the smallest acts can leave a lasting impact. We are beyond grateful to have Kelley as part of our community.
Thank you, Kelley, for helping us change lives — one smile, one moment, and one connection at a time. 🐴✨

Imagine waking up every day knowing you’re not just living your life, but you have the opportunity to help change someon...
05/19/2026

Imagine waking up every day knowing you’re not just living your life, but you have the opportunity to help change someone else’s.
It’s all about perspective at Common Ground. ✨
We recently had the incredible opportunity to work with the Maryland Crime Victims' Resource Center (MCVRC), creating space for hope, healing, smiling, and a moment to simply pause… breathe… and step out of the constant cycle of an upregulated nervous system.
One participant shared, “I have not laughed in years.”
Another said, “I actually got a break from feeling the constant sadness of loss.”
Sometimes healing begins with one quiet moment of connection, a smile, or the freedom to feel something different — even if only for a little while. 💙

Deep grief carries weight.Sometimes so much weight that it has to be shaken loose, rolled out, released into the earth.A...
05/14/2026

Deep grief carries weight.

Sometimes so much weight that it has to be shaken loose, rolled out, released into the earth.
As the horse let himself fall into the ground — releasing the heaviness of the work — the world around him blurred with movement. Hands rushed in to help, concern moved quickly, but one person remained steady… grounded… holding calm space for the process unfolding.

There is something powerful about witnessing release without trying to control it.
Horses remind us that healing is not always quiet or graceful. Sometimes it looks like surrender. Sometimes it looks like trusting the ground enough to finally let go.

And sometimes the greatest act of support is simply being the calm in the middle of someone else’s storm. 💙🐴

You know it’s a good day on the course when you come in last… and still walk away with a certificate for golf lessons an...
05/12/2026

You know it’s a good day on the course when you come in last… and still walk away with a certificate for golf lessons and a fresh set of balls! ⛳😂

Common Ground was proud to sponsor a hole at this year’s tournament, and even prouder to be part of such a fun and meaningful day supporting Frederick County 4-H.
A huge thank you to Jeremy and Jeanette Mathias and their company, Nxteriors, for sponsoring our foursome—we couldn’t have done it without you!

Big shoutout as well to Maureen Barker and the Moose Lodge 371 for putting together such a great event. It was a fun day full of laughs, community, and support for an amazing cause.
Already looking forward to next year… and maybe improving our score just a little! 😉






Some bonds never fade—they just grow stronger with time. 💕This Mother’s Day, we’re throwing it back to May 10, 2011, whe...
05/10/2026

Some bonds never fade—they just grow stronger with time. 💕

This Mother’s Day, we’re throwing it back to May 10, 2011, when Miss Ellie May first made her grand (and very sassy) entrance into the world. She may have been little then, but that spark?
Still just as bright today. ✨

And Dolly 🐴… the kind of mama who did it all with quiet strength and steady love. Years later, she’s still giving—right alongside her daughter—in the Common Ground program, helping others heal the same way she raised Ellie: with patience, heart, and grace.

From one generation to the next, love carries on. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamas—two-legged and four. 💐

Some losses change everything. 💜We are honored to be hosting a 6-week equine-assisted trauma recovery group in partnersh...
05/07/2026

Some losses change everything. 💜

We are honored to be hosting a 6-week equine-assisted trauma recovery group in partnership with Frederick Health Hospice, supporting individuals navigating complex and traumatic grief.

This group holds space for those who have lost a loved one in a sudden or traumatic way—where healing doesn’t have to be rushed, explained, or carried alone.

Through gentle, ground-based interactions with our horses, participants are invited to reconnect with themselves in a safe and supportive environment. Horses offer something truly unique—an immediate, nonjudgmental presence that responds to what we feel, not just what we say. In that space, people begin to process, regulate, and rebuild.

Over the course of these weeks, participants will explore self-awareness, emotional regulation, and coping skills—while slowly rediscovering trust, connection, and moments of peace.

Grief can feel isolating, but here, it is met with understanding, compassion, community and healing.

We are deeply grateful to walk alongside each participant on this journey of healing. 🐴

Address

6250 Detrick Road
Mount Airy, MD
21771

Telephone

+13016395052

Website

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