Booth's Horse Fell....

[Rick Smith]

(12-22-2016 10:26 AM)John Fazio Wrote:  

(12-22-2016 10:04 AM)BettyO Wrote:  Thanks, John.

We've been over this before, as Laurie said -

The pain and severity of JWB's injury was probably due to the style of riding in the 19th Century.

In the 19th Century, men rode with a straighter leg, with most of the seat and balance being utilized by the pressure of the thighs, lower leg (calf) and feet in the stirrups. See the photo of Allen Pinkerton on horseback; notice how straight his leg is - most of the pressure/weight is in the stirrups.



One jumped fences leaning back in the saddle with straight legs and pressure in the stirrups.

This changed in the early 20th Century when the knee was bent more and emphasis on the seat/balance was placed on the thighs and knees -



I've ridden all my life (lived in a saddle as a kid.)

JWB would have experienced severe pain with pressure on the broken/fractured ankle/leg focused primarily on the foot and calf of the injured leg in the stirrup.

Betty:

Excellent analysis. It explains much. Thank you for the information, which was previously unknown to me.

John

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(12-22-2016 09:38 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(12-22-2016 09:14 AM)John Fazio Wrote:  (perhaps, if he initially rode away from Dr. Mudd's farm and then doubled back to it, for which there is some evidence),

John, I am curious. You say "some evidence." To what do you refer? Many thanks.

Roger:

Booth and Herold reached the tavern at about midnight, some 10 miles or so from the bridge. They left within five minutes. They did not arrive at Dr. Mudd's farm until 4:00 a.m., some 15 or so miles away. Four hours to do 15 miles? On July 10, 1865, Thomas Ewing, Dr. Mudd's counsel, appealed to President Johnson for a "remission" of Dr. Mudd's sentence. In support of the appeal, Ewing claimed that Herold's lawyer, Frederick Stone, told him that Herold had tried to dissuade Booth from going to Dr. Mudd's farm, which was very far from his planned route, but that Booth insisted that his leg had to have professional attention. If this is true, it might explain, at least partially, Booth's reference in his diary to having ridden 60 miles that night instead of the approximately 25 from the bridge to Dr. Mudd's farm, i.e. they may have ridden beyond the farm and then doubled back to it. (See also Steers and Holzer, The Lincoln Assassination Conspirators, pp. 42 and 101.) I hasten to add, however, that such a scenario ignores Atzerodt's May 1 confession, in which he stated that Dr. Mudd "knew all about it" and that "liquors and provisions" had been sent to him for pick-up by the fugitives when they made their way south. (See Steers, The Trial, p. cv).

John

I will add to Betty's good information. Like Betty, I spent a lot of time in the saddle as my family raised thoroughbred horses and we were also fox hunters. Thing to remember is that a horse walks at 4 mph; trots at 8 mph and canters, or hand gallops, at 12 mph. So, average speed is 8 mph. Booth's ride to Surratt's in the dark on muddy roads was just fine, especially considering conditions. His ride to Mudd's took much longer, probably due to his physical condition and the possibility of his having to stop and rest. He would be exhausted most likely having to ride with one foot out of the stirrup and the other in, leaning forward on his hands to help maintain his seat. My hunter, who was 17 hands high and about 1,100 lbs., came down on me in a muddy cornfield during a hunt. Neither of us was injured, but my nice English riding clothes were covered in muck. Where is there a reference to the mare being muddy on her left side and having a fresh cut on her left shoulder by the time they arrived at Mudd's? If she was injured, that would also account for the long ride to the Dr's. place.