Kathy Carruthers
Program Coordinator
Kathy has been with PARD since 1994 when her daughter, Keri asked about volunteering with the program herself. The instructor that was with PARD at the time was familiar with Kathy’s horse experience and asked her to stay, as well. She quickly got hooked by the people and has been committed to the program ever since. She currently holds the position of Program Coordinator on the PARD Board of Directors with an AI level instruction certification through CanTRA (Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association).Known for her sharp wit and sarcastic tongue, Kathy has a huge heart when it comes to her students. She is proud of the true therapeutic benefits that the PARD program offers every rider and gets a genuine rush of joy with every success a rider experiences, however small that success may be.
“Our riders are brave and dedicated - they are willing to try anything we ask of them in order to achieve a goal,” says Kathy. She also expounds on the value of a good therapy horse, having selected and trained many firsthand. She would like people “to understand that our horses are quality horses. They are - and need to be - sound and healthy in order to do the job they are expected to do.”
Born in the small eastern Ontario town of Finch, Kathy remembers her parents telling her that “you only get out of your community what you are willing to put into it.” It is that civic-minded attitude that Kathy has instilled in her three children, Chris, Keri and Brendon. They, along with her husband, Dave, find themselves helping out at PARD often, doing whatever might be needed to ensure the program continues.
“Our riders are brave and dedicated - they are willing to try anything we ask of them in order to achieve a goal,” says Kathy. She also expounds on the value of a good therapy horse, having selected and trained many firsthand. She would like people “to understand that our horses are quality horses. They are - and need to be - sound and healthy in order to do the job they are expected to do.”
Born in the small eastern Ontario town of Finch, Kathy remembers her parents telling her that “you only get out of your community what you are willing to put into it.” It is that civic-minded attitude that Kathy has instilled in her three children, Chris, Keri and Brendon. They, along with her husband, Dave, find themselves helping out at PARD often, doing whatever might be needed to ensure the program continues.
