Stable Grounds Sanctuary

10/13/2026

New here? Let's start with what we're rooted in. 🌱🐴

Welcome! I'm Dr. Rebecca Cohen, clinical psychologist and co-founder of Stable Grounds Therapeutic Farm Sanctuary, Inc. We're rooted in land justice, equine well-being, and trauma healing for all.

Why do these three elements belong together?

Because healing needs to be accountable to the history of this land, to its original peoples, and to their current priorities.

And healing with horses must include unlearning traditional horsemanship so we can be in genuine relationship with horses as we pursue our own healing with them and on this land.

If you feel called to this kind of healing work, we'd love to have you with us.

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StableGroundsSanctuary

10/07/2026

10/07/2026

Bubble snuggled up and has not moved all evening. Suppose we'll see him again in the spring.

10/03/2026

🐝ing

Get it?

😆

10/03/2026

ABUNDANCE 🐝🐝🐝
This is the first time in many, many years that this land is able to rest. And look what immediately comes about.

The peace that sitting with and listening to the bees brings me is so lovely. (I know that's not the case for everyone).

As the land rests, I am also slowing down to see what grows here and who shows up.

What already exists in this little eco system? Who lives here throught the year? Do they like horses. 😆 asking before our horses are actually here.

Funny but its also the crux of the work of a human intending to influence a space to restore habitat.

Curiosity, questions, trial and error.

What's crazy is that I *know* that the land will tell me how it feels about bringing horses here. My job is to learn how to listen.

Clearly it is loving not being mowed. What else might it express?

10/02/2026

Please and Thank you 🙏❤️🍁🍃🐎
I know my people are out there.
This is a place for us to connect around shared values of land justice, equine wellbeing, and trauma healing. These are the three components from which we are building our sanctuary ecosystem. They are interconnected.

Join us here to learn more about this connection.

Press all the buttons and especially hit copy link!!!

09/29/2026

Love isn't the same as care.

After the responses to our Medieval Times post, we wanted to share something personal: good intentions don't protect horses from harm.

Real relationship means listening to their feedback, even when it's hard to hear, and changing course.

We're still learning, and we'll keep getting it wrong sometimes too.

Follow along as we keep putting the horse's needs at the center. 🐴

09/28/2026

30,000 of you watched a horse try to tell us something. 🐴

That's a whole lotta people who give a damn (and a few who just wanted to argue in the comments).

What stood out most wasn't the numbers. It was the stories: former riders, performers, barn workers, and horse people who've been noticing the same things for years and didn't know where to say it.

Here's the thing. The spur clip was snarky, but the concern underneath it is serious.

Yes, spurs can be used for refinement. But realllly, they aren't necessary if you're willing to slow down and actually build a relationship with your horse: meeting them where they are, instead of imposing your agenda and your pace on them. When a horse is pinning, bracing, head tossing, tail-wringing, and still being driven forward, that horse is communicating. Our job is to listen. Immediately.

And I want to be real about something else: calling it out is the easy part. Changing long-held practices in places that believe they're already doing right by their horses is much harder. Defensiveness is a very human response. So how do we push for better without just shouting into the void? How do we open doors instead of slamming them?

That's the conversation I want to have with you.

👉 Follow along if you want to learn more about reading equine pain and stress, and to dig into how we actually move institutions toward change, with clarity, accountability, and compassion for the horses first.

Drop your thoughts below. What's worked (or hasn't) when you've tried to advocate for a horse? 👇

09/28/2026

30,000 of you watched a horse try to tell us something 🐴

That's a whole lotta people who give a damn.

What stood out most wasn't the numbers. It was the stories in comments and DMs: former riders, performers, barn workers, and horse people who've been noticing the same things for years and didn't know where to say it.

Here's the thing. The spur clip was snarky, but the concern underneath it is serious. Yes, spurs can be used for refinement. But most of the time, they aren't necessary if you're willing to slow down and actually build a relationship with your horse: meeting them where they are, instead of imposing your agenda and your pace on them. When a horse is pinning, bracing, head tossing, tail-wringing, and still being driven forward, that horse is communicating. Our job is to listen.

And I want to be real about something else: calling it out is the easy part. Changing long-held practices in places that believe they're already doing right by their horses is much harder. Defensiveness is a very human response. So how do we push for better without just shouting into the void? How do we open doors instead of slamming them?

That's the conversation I want to have with you on this page.

👉 Follow along if you want to learn more about reading equine pain and stress, and to dig into how we actually move institutions toward change, with clarity, accountability, and compassion for the horses first.

Drop your thoughts below. What's worked (or hasn't) when you've tried to advocate for a horse? 👇

09/26/2026

This chestnut sweetheart came out and bounced between shut down and fight response during the whole intro.

He was standing straight ahead of me. Ears to the side. Head low. Then lift, pin ears, head toss anytime the rider moved.

I felt pain in my chest and side while observing him. My first thoughts were "omg this horse is very unwell." But when they moved and I saw the rider... 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

EVERYONE was wearing spurs. NONE OF THEM KNEW HOW TO USE THEM (nevermind seemed to have considered if they were even necessary).

WHYYYY????

These horses KNEW THE ROUTINE BY HEART. I observed them anticipating the next moves frequently.

There was even a liberty part of the show.

But then these dudes are up there flapping around poking them with spurs 😖😖😖 FOR NO REASON.

Look. Are there many, many, other welfare concerns I could name about this show. 1000%. Honing in on this very obvious and VERY fixable problem: train your riders to really ride.

They can leap and tumble off of the horses at a gallop. Put a jousting poll thing through a tiny ring at full speed. I bet money they could learn to breathe, balance, truly listen to and connect with their horses and ride with their seat, breath, and verbal cues.

FR FR- the show could actually be 100% done without horses- if I'm speaking what I really feel.

Those dudes in the sparkly leggings were athletic and the sword fights were so fun! I'm certain a whole show could be crafted around that and they'd probably do even better for the business. The kids had a BLAST!

In an age where science-based horse practices are sooooo readily available, this stuff is just inexcusable and outright willfull ignorance- and as usual, prioritizing profit over wellbeing.

Change is right there. So close. So possible.

Eternally sending love to the misunderstood and mistreated beings in our care.