Signaling And The Methodology of Breakage

"Canaleculae and Lacunae of bone transducts mechano-chemical signals in bone cells".

Bone cells(apparently) get advanced warning of impending force and gird themselves in preparation by signals traveling through the Canals which permeate the material. Above note the Haversian Canals

In the next illustration the Lacuna which are the very thin lines separating the layering.

Below is a different view of these signaling mechanisms.

Thus, with the onset of force the matrix illustration at left will commence to "react" or resist both by pushing back against force and dissipating force by bending and swaying.

If we hit this matrix against a brick wall will it break or shatter? Obviously, if we hit it with enough force that will happen. The more interesting question for our horse is what happens in the case of a lesser but repeating force where we strike the matrix over and over again. We may imagine sixty strikes per lead change, sixty strides of much lesser force, then another sixty strikes at the next lead change.

I'm thinking that on strike there will be some compaction of this matrix, some resistance as the matrix pushes back, and then post strike the matrix will attempt to rebound to its original shape. If the force where sufficiently hard you'd suppose perhaps a connection here and there might come lose or be broken, though I doubt that occurs for our breezing horse.

Provided the matrix bears up against the initial strike, what happens on repeat?

I am thinking that possibly the matrix fails to rebound fully between strikes, and that with each succeeding strike, provided it comes soon enough, the matrix will compact more and more. You may imagine that with sufficient compaction that the degree of resistance or pushing back will at some point commence to diminish. Then, if you keep repeating at some point the matrix will be crushed. As Hansma notes, when one of those connectors break it takes less and less force to break the succeeding ones.

How do these general principals apply to horse bone cells, next post.

Training:
Tues. 8/19: Off.
Wed. 8/20: Tack work: Art 1.25 miles trot-gallop. Rod 1 mile trot.
Thurs. 8/21: The vet comes Friday to do teeth, remove wolf teeth, shots, coggins. In anticipation we decide on fast work. Art: Tack: 1.25 mile with about half of it as gallop. Nob for the first time says that Art probably also has a wolf tooth problem and that is why he's acting up on the left lead. Too dark for tack work with Rod. Both horses then do 7 x 2.5f riderless at about :14 sec/f with some faster spurts. Very energetic nice work at less than maximum speed.