My Story – Meet your coach, Elisabeth Denizot

Dually Certified: Equine Gestalt Coach and Master Gestaltist

Something was missing in my life. I had a caring, supportive husband, a loving, creative daughter, in-laws I simply adored, a meaningful career, and I lived in a place that had captured my heart forever. Yet something was missing. I felt an emptiness that was affecting my life.

It dawned on me that although I had once looked for a place to ride horses after moving from France to Colorado, I had gotten caught up in daily life and never completed that search. For many years, starting in my early teens, horses had been part of my life. I loved learning dressage, jumping, and cross-country. But more than anything, I loved being in their presence.

I took a first step by volunteering with horses, and something in me came alive again. Yet I also sensed that what I was experiencing went beyond riding. The sense of well-being I felt in their presence held something deeper.

Around that time, I was also witnessing, in others and in myself, the pressure to be enough. The weight of expectations, the strain of trying to fit, and the ways we lose ourselves trying to meet them.

A situation at work brought me to a breaking point. It affected my health and my family life. I knew I needed guidance, not just a way out.

That guidance appeared in an unexpected way.

One day, I came across an article about yoga with goats. I love goats and I love yoga, so I started reading. At the very end, in small print, it mentioned that the teacher was renting the space and the goats from an Equine Gestalt Coach.

Two words immediately caught my attention. Equine. Coach.

I reached out.

The experience was far beyond what I had imagined. The work, and the partnership with the horses, opened something I had not been able to access before. I gained clarity. I began to see my situation differently. What had felt like a toxic experience started to reveal itself as a turning point.

Standing beside the horses, their sensitivity reflected what was happening in me. What I was feeling showed up, and I could finally meet it.

I learned to set boundaries.

I learned to respect myself.

I learned to step into my own power.

I chose to train as an Equine Gestalt Coach.

What once felt uncertain became clear. This work was not just meaningful. It was aligned with who I am and how I want to serve.

The situation at work shifted, and I eventually retired. Not from defeat, but from a place of alignment. I was no longer reacting to circumstances. I was choosing my path.

That journey became the foundation of Nurturing Strides.

Today, I guide women who feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or at a crossroads. I do not give answers. I offer a space where, in the presence of horses, they can reconnect with themselves in a direct and embodied way.

Because what we are not aware of shapes our lives.

And when we begin to meet ourselves with awareness, something can shift.

Take the first Nurturing Stride.

If you wonder whether I ever did yoga with the goats:

And look who joined our family on my birthday…

Meet My Equine Partners

Horses read through us like an open book. As prey animals, their survival depends on their ability to accurately read their environment. They need to be able to identify a mountain lion lurking in the distance and to know whether the predator has a full stomach or needs to eat.

Any incongruency in their environment is perceived as a threat. Horses love harmony. They are masters at signaling to us, in a non-judgmental way, that we are not congruent, that is, when our mind, guts and body are not aligned. They know to guide us towards achieving congruency.

Spirit The Caring Mare

Spirit is a bay Trakehner mare, born in 2005. She is a natural, caring leader. At her former barn, she was sharing a pasture with several other mares. A young mustang, Jasper was introduced to the herd. One day, one of the other mares attacked Jasper. Spirit interfered to protect her. Spirit got injured but Jasper was safe and the aggressive mare was moved to a different paddock. With her highly sensitive and intuitive nature, Spirit connects deeply with animals and humans alike. She will guide you to find your Truth.

Casper, The Friendly Horse

Casper is a grey Quarter Horse, born in 2015. He has a sweet temperament and loves to be close to humans. When he first met Spirit, he was happy to recognize her as his leader and they became friends in an instant. They love grazing together off of the same hay net even if they each have their own. Casper will eat anything that looks edible to him. He also loves water – whether it is a shower or stepping into his water tank! On top of his curious, adventurous nature, he deeply connects from his heart to yours.