Hands Off the Horses, Massage Therapist Is Told

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John Kelly's Washington

John Kelly writes five times a week about the joys and annoyances of living in Washington. He aims to show readers the Washington (and Silver Spring, Alexandria, Manassas, Bowie ...) that they know and take them places they don't know.

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The vet board released a statement saying it doesn't mind non-vets giving massages, so long as they're only for relaxation or making the animal "generally feel better." Mercedes said that wasn't the board's position when this all started. She's afraid to touch a horse, given the threatening language in the letters she has received.

But isn't horse massage a little, you know, weird? Isn't it pampering taken to a ridiculous extreme, like pedicures for cats or canine facials?

"Most of the horses I massaged were working horses," Mercedes said. "They worked for a living. So, they're athletes, just like human athletes. Their muscles get stiff and a little sore, and it helps relax the muscles so they can feel better. A lot of times when horses are at work, they're being pushed pretty hard. And they can't say, 'Hey, this hurts, this is really bothering me,' and they tend to exhibit behavior such as grumpiness."

Hours spent traveling our roads cooped up in a horse box just add to the grumpiness.

In the Damascus barn, Chanty's massage was nearing its end. Mercedes leaned in with an elbow on Chanty's big brown flank, 110 pounds of human meeting 950 pounds of horse.

"Typically, when they start licking and chewing, that means they like it," she said. Chanty's pinkish-white lips were moving back and forth like an old man gumming some mashed potatoes.

"One of my favorite things about this job is I get my hands dirty," Mercedes said, lifting up palms dusty from warm horse flesh.

Postscript: Yesterday morning, Chanty developed a severe case of colic, a painful and dangerous intestinal disorder. Mercedes and her veterinarian decided to euthanize the horse.

To see a video of Mercedes Clemons massaging Chanty, go tohttp://www.washingtonpost.com/johnkelly.