Creating Pathways to Wellness

Gail Giesen

A native of West Hartford, Connecticut, Gail earned a bachelor’s from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law. She worked for the Connecticut appellate system for many years and served as Chief Staff Attorney to the Connecticut Supreme Court for nine years. Gail was active in the American Bar Association and sat on the board of the Council of Appellate Staff Attorneys. Post-retirement, Gail and her husband Tom traveled extensively and, until 2018, wintered in Bangkok, Thailand. They have two sons and a stepdaughter, as well as a grandson and a step-granddaughter.

Always a horse lover, Gail started riding at a very young age.  Her first ribbons were in Western pleasure and trail; later, she competed in the adult amateur hunters. She stopped riding around the time she retired, thinking – wrongly - that the horse phase of her life was over. Having moved from Connecticut to Vermont and spending less time traveling, Gail decided to look for a horse to ride on the dirt roads in their rural neighborhood. On Craigslist, she found Tuktuk, who became her trail riding and dressage partner, as well as a beloved member of the family.  

In 2023, Gail and Tom re-located to Keene, where Tuktuk is now living a semi-retired life at Elm Farm, loving and being loved by all who meet him. Gail continues to work on dressage at Dusty Dog Farm with her new equine partner, an off-track Thoroughbred named Why Not William (Willie). She is honored to serve on the board of Cooper’s Crossroad and to help advance its mission.