Smoking on horseback?

I have smoked on top of the horse and will do again I am sure!
When sisters big grey numpty planted in the field for nearly an hour, I sat and rolled a fag, smoked it, considered a second one, much better than beating the living daylights out of the beast (which was the second option :p)
And as for passive smoking, if I have a fag when standing next to my mare I have to push her nose away from it, mind you I have to watch her with gin as well :D :D
 
Malibu_Stacy said:
I've never heard of someone dropping ash on their horse from a cigarette, but I do someone who used to smoke a lot while hacking out whose (normally lovely and calm) horse spooked at one of those sit-on lawn mowers when he wasn't paying attention, who fell off and broke their back :eek: Horse legged it and was found by a yard round the corner from us who brought him back and sent people out to look for rider - who was a few miles away, so horse must have made his way down a fairly busy road with several blind corners on his own :eek:

Rider recovered (although always retained an issue with a few of the sensory nerves in one of his legs) but never really got back into riding. Poor horse was eventually passed onto someone else who was going to have him shot, until lovely YO and her OH stepped in, saved him (and my current horse) and retired him to their fields.

Obviously this is only an anecdote, but my issue with smoking on horseback (particularly when not in a 'safe' environment) is less with the possibility of cigarette itself hurting the horse but - as with answering a mobile etc - the fact that your full attention isn't on the horse and the surrounding environment, meaning a fall/accident is more likely.
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Oh for goodness sakes, are you saying he fell off only because he was smoking?! I will have a fag whilst out hunting, along with a good swig of something incredibly alcoholic from my hip flask, and then go jump whatever is in front of me and canter sideways down a road....I must be going straight to hell :D
 
wonkey_donkey said:
I'm also an ex smoker but used to love 'fagging it' whilst riding.

I know smokers are treated like complete morons but (they) are generally very capable of riding a horse without setting fire to it!!

If you dont like to see it then just don't look !!!
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Pmsl,love it :D
Yes i do,(not on roads it has to be said)and tbh couldnt give a monkeys what it looks like to anybody else :D Have done for yrs and can honestly say I havnt burnt,scarred or traumatised any horse to date :)
 
Out hunting on Tues, as we were trotting up a lane, the lady in front of me flicked her ash which hit my horse in the face.....not impressed as just missed his eye! Not anti smoking in any way, but would have apprecaited her looking where she was flicking!

Interestingly at the same meet another lady flicked her butt and it landed in a gorse bush which then appeared to set fire - Senior master was not impressed and said lady got a major b*llicking!
 
Weezy said:
Oh for goodness sakes, are you saying he fell off only because he was smoking?! I will have a fag whilst out hunting, along with a good swig of something incredibly alcoholic from my hip flask, and then go jump whatever is in front of me and canter sideways down a road....I must be going straight to hell :D
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It appears I may be going there also, I have often popped into the pub and got us a pint each (mare likes a stout) rolled a fag up and plodded back home singing sea shanties.:D
 
This post has made me laugh!! Esp the bit about combustion engines.....!!! Tee hee!

I am an ex smoker and I used to LOVE a ciggie while out riding - my two favourite passtimes both at the same time!! Even better when coupled with a day out hunting and a hip flask!!!!

Ahhhh those were the days!! :D
 
Sidney said:
Out hunting on Tues, as we were trotting up a lane, the lady in front of me flicked her ash which hit my horse in the face.....not impressed as just missed his eye! Not anti smoking in any way, but would have apprecaited her looking where she was flicking!

Interestingly at the same meet another lady flicked her butt and it landed in a gorse bush which then appeared to set fire - Senior master was not impressed and said lady got a major b*llicking!
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Sorry! Just read that last para with an American accent and got the giggles:D

Would hate to think of my butt spontaneously combusting in front of the Master...
 
True story...I once got so pissed at a Spanish feria I cannot to this day remember riding my horse home - he obviously took me, but I remember jack about the journey :D

Nothing better than a pub ride in the summer, whoop!
 
Weezy said:
Oh for goodness sakes, are you saying he fell off only because he was smoking?! I will have a fag whilst out hunting, along with a good swig of something incredibly alcoholic from my hip flask, and then go jump whatever is in front of me and canter sideways down a road....I must be going straight to hell :D
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I'm saying he fell off because he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings (like someone starting up a lawnmower) and his horses reactions to it. *HE* said afterwards he fell off because he wasn't paying attention. In that case it was because he was smoking, nowadays it could just as easily have been something like a texting on a mobile that distracted him.

Its not like I said he tumbled off the horse the minute he lit the fag, but if your attention is distracted and your horse spooks you'll be less likely to sit a sudden shift in momentum. In your case, while out hunting (1) I bet you're more alert anyway due to the knowledge of horse being slightly sparky and (2) if you did fall off there's a whole bunch of people around to check you're not injured/ horse doesn't come to harm, unlike when hacking miles from home on your own.
 
Hels_Bells said:
Stop it!!! I've got a stitch from laughing now!!!!! :D:D
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You should try it it is liberating, local chavs hold the mare whilst I run in pub they usually put their burberry hat on her head and take piccies of them together and put her on their facebook status. All the chavs and chavettes wave to us as we ride past and shout "hey sister you have one cool ride she is like a saxo with steelies innit" apparently steelies are alloy wheels. They must be referring to her shoes, anyway they were great kids and now leave apples for my cool ride outside my field.
 
Weezy said:
True story...I once got so pissed at a Spanish feria I cannot to this day remember riding my horse home - he obviously took me, but I remember jack about the journey :D

Nothing better than a pub ride in the summer, whoop!
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Hee hee!

NEVER mention to my husband about the new years eve when I tried to ride to the pub to escort my little sister home as she couldn't get a taxi... I CAN remember that the moon was very bright that night (/morning)....

Don't forget folks - drink-riding is still illegal in the UK!!! :D :D
 
Malibu_Stacy said:
I'm saying he fell off because he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings (like someone starting up a lawnmower) and his horses reactions to it. *HE* said afterwards he fell off because he wasn't paying attention. In that case it was because he was smoking, nowadays it could just as easily have been something like a texting on a mobile that distracted him.

Its not like I said he tumbled off the horse the minute he lit the fag, but if your attention is distracted and your horse spooks you'll be less likely to sit a sudden shift in momentum. In your case, while out hunting (1) I bet you're more alert anyway due to the knowledge of horse being slightly sparky and (2) if you did fall off there's a whole bunch of people around to check you're not injured/ horse doesn't come to harm, unlike when hacking miles from home on your own.
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See I actually disagree with you. When you are relaxed and your horse spooks, IMO, you are more likely to sit the spook and go with it. If you are on alert then you are more likely to fall as you will be, because it is human nature, that little bit more tense which comes from being on alert :D

I have to say that smoking has never distracted me - I am more likely to be distracted nosing into someone's garden!
 
The_snoopster said:
You should try it it is liberating, local chavs hold the mare whilst I run in pub they usually put their burberry hat on her head and take piccies of them together and put her on their facebook status. All the chavs and chavettes wave to us as we ride past and shout "hey sister you have one cool ride she is like a saxo with steelies innit" apparently steelies are alloy wheels. They must be referring to her shoes, anyway they were great kids and now leave apples for my cool ride outside my field.
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Aww bless them - you're clearly the type who sees good in all mankind!!!

p.s. thanks for the tip about steelies - i'll remember what the means in case I ever take your advice and give this a go!! :D:D
 
Weezy said:
See I actually disagree with you. When you are relaxed and your horse spooks, IMO, you are more likely to sit the spook and go with it. If you are on alert then you are more likely to fall as you will be, because it is human nature, that little bit more tense which comes from being on alert :D

I have to say that smoking has never distracted me - I am more likely to be distracted nosing into someone's garden!
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Aaah, but there's being relaxed and then there's being completely away with the fairys in your own little world.... :D

Its all about degrees. I think there's a continuum between 'ramrod tense on high alert' and 'completely oblivious', with a sweet spot in the middle where you're relaxed but aware of whats going on around you. TBF he was never the most on the ball rider anyway, so something like having a cigarette was enough to push him into the 'completely oblivious' catagory. (plus you know what they say about men and multitasking.... ;):D)
 
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The_snoopster said:
You should try it it is liberating, local chavs hold the mare whilst I run in pub they usually put their burberry hat on her head and take piccies of them together and put her on their facebook status. All the chavs and chavettes wave to us as we ride past and shout "hey sister you have one cool ride she is like a saxo with steelies innit" apparently steelies are alloy wheels. They must be referring to her shoes, anyway they were great kids and now leave apples for my cool ride outside my field.
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I hope you said "Saxo? No I drive a real car, not a shopping trolley!"
 
I used to be and still am impressed with my old yard owner - often when he was riding one of his young potential top showjumpers who was throwing its toys out of the pram he used to casually light up and sit puffing away whilst the horse decided it wasn't having the effect it had hoped for and calmed down.

I ended my youthful dalliance with smoking over ten years ago but maybe if it improves my riding ....
 
wonkey_donkey said:
I'm also an ex smoker but used to love 'fagging it' whilst riding.

I know smokers are treated like complete morons but (they) are generally very capable of riding a horse without setting fire to it!!

If you dont like to see it then just don't look !!!
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This made me giggle. My father used to regularly hack out, cig in hand, including when he decided to back one of his horses. He never burnt the horse. Nor did he burn the house down when he smoked in the house. He did drop ash on the carpet once or twice, but only when he fell asleep, and that wasn't likely to happen on his mares!

It brings me up short seeing someone smoking these days, but then that's poss more a reflection on the fact that it's less socially acceptable generally, then because it's detrimental to the horse.

I do wish they'd ban smoking outside the entrance to buildings though - walking through the fug on the way in to the pub/ office/ etc is awful.
 
Each to their own I say. I've been know to have a puff while out on a hack and very pleasant it was too.

Boringly I'm half heartedly trying to give up (for about the 20th time lol) but I really don't see why someone having a fag while sitting on a horse is so very terrible.
 
I don't smoke anymore, but used to light up out hacking all the time. I did traumatise one horse who spooked at my matchbox rattling (made it very difficult to strike one!) but that was back in the days before political correctness and elf an safety, so they were probably Swan Vestas and could have caused a fire in my pocket!

The man who taught me most about horses was a heavy smoker and to this day I can see him sitting on a small dun naughty horse, eyes screwed up against the smoke from the dwindling fag in his mouth. The horse played up, John sat through the whole bronco impression but got caught out when said horse suddenly dropped his shoulder and very uncharacteristically fell off. He landed head first in the sand (onto his felt army cap) but the fag didn't move an inch! We knew he was ok cos you could see the smoke being exhaled.
 
I can see there have been many posts in response to the OP.

Much as i'd love to, i really don't have time to read through the entire thread.

I've smoked aboard both of my horses - one a 14.2 pony that was psychopathic when it came to tractors and the other a 15.2 showjumper that was uber nappy. once out, however, he was fantastic.

can't think of anything better than heading out on the open moors with my fave horse under me, some fantastic music on the ipod and a fag in hand!

seriously - the horse doesn't give a stuff!!!
 
ok just read a bit more of this thread and would like to say

(oh please god, fluffly bunnies PLEASE don't mash me)

I've actually, god forbid, dropped the cherry off my fag near the horse (in fact possibly on his mane?!)

he didn't bat an eyelid!!

I expect it felt rather like a fly bite.
 
The other year I met a very doughty lady in her eighties who'd been about horses all her life – hunting, pointing, breeding and breaking them – and was definitely not common ;)

She told me that she'd once been breaking in an awkward pony that would refuse to move when she was sitting on it. So the next time she rode it, she brought a packet of fags and a lighter. She mounted, asked the pony to walk on and when it balked she sat back and lit up a fag.
They stood there in the yard, with her smoking her way through this cigarette. Eventually the pony got bored and took a step forward. She stopped it, and lit another fag.
She said she went right through a packet like this, not allowing the pony to move, and the pony never, thereafter, dug its toes in and refused to walk on when asked. :rolleyes:
 
jaysh said:
Surely not! lol, this person isnt a nice person and thinks nothing of giving her horse a good beating, a typical rough un!

Have you got a coloured horse?? Oh god, hope not, or you will hunt me down and beat me up! lol
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See, it always the 'baddies' in films who smoke:D:D

When horseless many years ago, a friend asked me to hack out her 15 YO retired much loved Grade B who was fed up sitting around in a field. She ended the list of his qualities as a hack by saying 'Oh yes, and you can smoke on him'!
 
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