Clara Palm is happy with her career choice
We met up with Horse Chiropractor Clara Palm earlier this year when she was competing at Wallaby Hill. Since then she has been busy working in the greater Sydney region, setting up her own website and managing to ride at the odd event.
Clara admits she is now in the lucky situation of being able to work within an industry that she has always loved, but her career didn’t really start off that way
What led you into the world of Equine Chiropractor?
Jeff Morrison and Joel Champion, from Freshwater Horses, were my insiration for getting into Equine Chiro. Jeff is an Osteopath and animal Chiropractor and has clients in UAE, Ireland, Germany and England while Joel is more based in the Sydney area. Watching these two guys work in amazing and I have always been in awe of what they are able to do to help the horses they treat.
I had spent several years completing a degree in Management in Leisure but wasn't really enjoying the work I was doing. Around that time I had a discussion with my Dad about what I was doing and he asked me the simple question - 'what would you really like to be doing'. My answer was equally simple, ‘What Jeff does’. Dad responded with ‘well you'd better find out how you can do that!’
So off I went and enrolled in another five years of University. As it turned out, the year I enrolled was the year they cancelled the Osteopath course. So I became a Chiropractor instead, but learning Osteopath techniques along the way.
I’m guessing you had to do Human Chiropractor first?
Yes. You have to be either a vet or a human chiropractor to do the animal course.
In your work today are the horses that you work more competition horses or pleasure horses?
They're a mixture of both really. However I do tend to deal a lot with competition horses along with the odd racehorse or two.
Looking at the competition horses you treat could you say there is a ‘common’ injury or condition?
It's hard to pinpoint one common injury, but I do see a lot of tight rib cages and restricted pelvises.
What technique do you use in your work?
I use a diverse range of techniques, depending on what type of injury or condition I’m dealing with. I adjust, stretch, mobilise, use trigger points, massage and counter strain and by using the right combination of techniques with each horse I can help their condition.
Clara uses a range of techniques to treat her clients
How many times (on average) do you have to treat a horse?
Ideally I do two treatments, at a week apart. This helps me get an idea of how well the horse responds. Most horses respond really quickly and when that is the case I don't have to see them for about a month, depending on the level of work they're doing.
What is the most rewarding thing about your work and are there any parts of your work do you don’t enjoy?
Horses are such lovely animals to work with and I consider myself very lucky to be working with them. When they start to relax into a treatment you can see and feel straight away that they're enjoying it and that always gives you a good feeling that you are helping them. With some horses the improvements are quiet amazing in not just how they work but even their whole attitude and it’s great to have been part of that.
Of course one of the downsides that is always there is the danger of being kicked, which definitely up there in the list of worst aspects of the job and then there are those pesky flies to deal with …
What would be your ultimate Chiropractor job?
I would love to be the treating Chiropractor for both horse and rider for our Olympic team – I think that would be a fascinating, not to mention challenging job.
