Breaking a leg

[MaddieM]

(02-19-2013 08:08 AM)BettyO Wrote:  

Quote:His adrenalin must have been sky high when he jumped from the stage, and therefore if he felt no initial pain, he might not limp until some time afterwards.

Good point, Maddie!

We discussed this in class last night. There is a good possibility that he initially broke or fractured his leg in the jump from the box, landing awkwardly on the stage as was reported. Upon his getaway his mare could have fallen or thrown him and further injured his leg, rendering him totally incapacitated. We simply don't know. I'm sure his adrenalin was high - as anyone's would be and his ability to mount the skittish mare and ride away definitely point in this direction. In the 19th Century, riding styles, as I have previously point out, were different where the weight/balance of the rider was dependent almost solely on the lower legs and feet - not on the knees so much as today's riding style. In the Victorian era, one rode with most of the balance on the lower leg and foot so that yes, Booth would have been in considerable pain by the time he reached Dr Mudd's house. Whether or not his mare fell with him will continue to be debated.

Seems these guys had some clumsy horses - inasmuch as Powell's horse also fell and threw him as well!

Were horses shod in those days? I presume they were. I would imagine that they didn't look after them quite so well as we do now. I'm sure the owners looked after them as best they could, but 150 years ago I'm sure spavins, splints and laminitis wasn't treated as it is now. Perhaps it wouldn't have taken much for a horse to get lame in those days.