Those Booth Horses Again -

[BettyO]

"

Quote:Tearing at the flesh" does not have to refer to the outer flesh of the leg either. My arthritis makes walking feel like my inner flesh is being torn, so I can empathize with Mr. Booth's thoughts on pain."

I'll reiterate about Victorian riding styles, which were vastly different from today's interaction with horseback riding. The closest thing nowadays is riding the Western Seat as opposed to the modern English Seat which was used in a modified way in the 19th Century.

In the 19th Century, one leaned back while riding at a gallop with the leg rather straight in the stirrup and all the weight and balance on the ball of the foot as well as the lower legs and thighs. With weight bearing on that broken lower bone, Booth would have been in a lot of pain. Today's English Seat uses primarily the thigh and lower leg for balance with not as much emphasis placed on the ball of the foot. The leg is bent while in the saddle so there is not so much pressure on the lower foot and ankle as there would have been in the Victorian era.