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Hey everyone, yeah I don't normally post in here but I just couldn't help but be concerned about two things.

The first thing.
Smoking while on a horse. I was walking down to my local stables today and on the way there was a man trotting down the lane, with guess what... a cigarette in one hand. I felt sorry for his horse, being around that horrible smoke. It can't be good for the horse. Also, he was trotting at the same time, and as we know trotting is bumpy and what if the cigarette slipped and burned the horse? Also I saw a man going to collect a horse from a nearby field with a cigarette in his hand. There are so many risks to smoking, and I understand that some of you might smoke, but smoking while on a horse? Let smokers smoke at home.

Second thing
(I will give you the link now, sorry if this is breaking the rules but it is horse related) Ralla
I was on youtube and looking at a horse video then on the related videos it had a video with the name 'Ralla' So I clicked on it and when the video started I couldn't help being shocked. In the directors comments the rider said: "Doing some high fences :]
Well this horse is 8 I think, and She was a racer so shes pretty fast, but she has to retire because of an accident."

Noticed anything out of the ordinary? I certainly do. I don't think the accident on her back legs has healed yet. The horse really looks in pain. Whenever she brought the jump down, it was because her back legs were hitting it. Also at 1:40 she jumped the oxer the wrong way. At 00:31 she almost ran into the other horse. Most of the comments where pointing out what is wrong.

I know I'm moaning on about this and I hate pointing out other peoples mistakes but I couldn't help but be concerned about this...

Discuss-
Smoking on a horse
Ralla and the rider

The stable that I learned to ride at was on the same property as a retirement home. The employees would come down to see the horses on their lunch breaks, and a lot of them smoked, which really pissed the stable owner off. She'd tell them to stop, for the horses, and the employees would say fine, but do smoke near the barn anyway.

Well one day, just after my lesson, one of the employees tossed their cigarette butt into a pile of mulch when he was done with it, and the mulch caught on fire a little ways away from the barn.
In the barn, we didn't even notice till some of the horses started acting funny, we look for what could be freaking them out only to find a flaming, smoking pile of mulch.

Needless to say there's a huge "THANK YOU FOR NOT SMOKING AROUND THE HORSES" sign now, and there hasn't been a problem since. xd

But seriously, smoking around horses and barns is not a good idea. Flick that cigarette the wrong way and you've got yourself a fire.

Every barn I've worked at/ been to has had a strict no smoking policy. I can't imagine being at a barn that didn't, though a very foolish worker at my old barn put the burn barrel too close to the back pasture once, oh the barn owner had a cow

crying I am sooooo sorry. I can't believe anyone would smoke around horses, especially because of all the stuff that could easily light on fire.


The thing with Ralla, you are right Maze353, she doesn't look like she is moving or jumping right. Also, the horse doesn't look like she is going too fast. There are times when she is, but most of the time she looks like she has a nice pace. I ride my pony and he has gone so much faster than that. He ran so fast one time, i was up out of my saddle the whole time, and I wasn't meaning to. He likes to run, especially towards fences! mrgreen

I see what you mean about the reigns and hands, I didn't really notice that before. When I watch the video again I can see what you mean.

But when you're on top of a horse don't you still think it's a bit dangerous? It's not just the smoke, but what if you hurt the horse? And I see what you mean, the smoke does go up not down, but still it's dangerous and not a very good idea. Especially if you're on a country road with blind corners and trees blocking the way, the horse could get spooked if a car sped round the corner and the rider would be smoking at the same time. Also, what if the rider drops it or looses control of riding and accidentally drops the cigarette, hurting the horse on the way or catching fire on the grass? What if there are other horses behind you, the smoke would blow back into them. I am only concerned.

People smoking around the barn just plain terrifies me. Maybe it's because I'm OCD and paranoid, but I can just imagine all of the horrible situations.

That being said, the barn that a lot of my friends keep their horses at at school, and one of the most reputable barns in the area, is owned by chain smokers. They don't usually smoke actually inside the barn, but out in the barnyard. The barn is in their backyard. Every time I see them light up, every muscle in my body goes into rigor and I have to try really hard to calm myself down, but I have to remind myself it's their property, they've been doing this for like, 40 years. As safety conscious as they are most of the time, I really can't believe that they smoke in their barn...

I see alot of bad videos on youtube, but that by far was the worst in a long time. That horse was in OBVIOUS pain. I'm sure the rider could have felt something not right with her. >:/ I have no problems with smokers in general. In the barn is just not acceptable though. AWAY from the barn,feed room, hay, straw(very flammable materials), other people who don't like smokers is fine though. Walking to the field to get a horse is fine though, just as long as the put it out when they catch the horse. Riding and smoking? NO NO NO NO. I don't care how good of a rider you are. I'll tell anyone I see smoking and riding to **** off. I don't care if its the owner of the barn, that's just plain stupidity. I also despise when people ride talking on the phone. xP