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Equine masseuse sues state agencies over massage ban

Published 10/19/08

WASHINGTON — Rockville massage therapist Mercedes Clemens thought she had the perfect job, until she got a letter from two state agencies telling her to stop working with horses or risk losing her massage therapy license.

Anath Hartmann — Capital News Service Kim Harpster, owner of Mezza Luna Farm in Damascus, massages her horse, Maddie, between the ears. Harpster says many horses keep tension in the muscles of the head, and the technique relaxes Maddie in the absence of equine masseuse Mercedes Clemens, who was ordered by state agencies to stop massaging horses.
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"They told me that I could not do massage on any animal in the state of Maryland and that I could not advertise animal massage," said Clemens, who received the letter in February and has since been working full time as a massage therapist to humans. "I was limited to massaging the human body (because) you had to be a vet to do equine massage. It was basically a complete blanket...

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