Smoking in the barn!

If you have ever seen how quickly (and hot) a bale of hay or barn burns, you would not tolerate any fire near a barn regardless of how careful folks may try to be.
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No doubt! I just burned some bad bales yesterday (and found the leak in the hay barn roof that caused the problem, ugh) and it never fails to amaze me how darn hot it burns.

Wow I never even considered what smoking in a barn would do. You think it would be obvious.. my previous employer owned a barn and smoked like 3-4 cigarettes a day, didn't matter the location.

Now I realize how dangerous it could have ended if fate hadn't been so kind.. sheesh.

This is going to sound bad. I'll smoke in my barn, however, they're no smoking signs up and written in the rules. I tell boarders "do as I say and not as I do" when it comes to smoking in the barn. Not that I'm a big smoker (maybe 2 or 3 a day during extra stressful weeks) but I have sooo much blood, sweat and tears invested in my barn that I know I'm not going to burn it down. Other people obviously don't have the attachment I have and are more likely to be careless. In fact, those blood, sweat and tears is what started the smoking. Barn management, building indoor arena, building new house and a 4 y/o son is A LOT of stress and it helps a bit. I think every one of my instructors or trainers smoke whenever and where ever. In fact, it drove me nuts that they rode with a cig hanging out of their mouths!

I definitely would say something to your barn owner though! Again, outsiders most likely don't care enough. I would never ever dream of smoking at another barn either.

Hi all,
Thanks for all the replies, to be honest I hadn't considered a lot of the risks that were mentioned.
I talked to the barn owner and she said she would tell her to stop. I forgot to mention about a sign but I will get a chance this weekend I'm sure because everybody will be there haying [ugh]

The worker is the ultimate idiot, I doubt she could care less about the barn and horses and if everything burned.
It's one of those cases where the BO feels bad for her because she doesn't have a job so the BO scrapes up some odd jobs for her so she can earn some money, and because she quits every job she ever gets where she actually has to work [she sits around and texts 3/4 of the time and swims in their pool, the BO doesn't know because she works at her husbands business and doesn't get home until after the idiots gone] and she will only take jobs that she can bring her dogs to.

I don't really know about the whole insurance thing, there's one of those signs that says the BO isn't liable for injury/death/stolen belongings etc. So does that mean she and her worker are not liable for anything? Something else to talk to her about anyway.

I don't know if the worker/bum will actually stop but at least now I can tell her to stop when I see her. Of course, she probably won't listen, but I'm looking into another farm to board at anyway.

Last thing, what is everyones feelings about dogs at the barn? And at/in the ring? I'm getting pretty ticked about it. If her stupid dog gets kicked in the head [and it's come pretty close to happening] because they keep chasing my horse I know she's going to go ballistic.

It probably is a good thing I'm thinking about leaving!

Dogs should not chase horses, ever.
If they do annoy the horses, a good thing about it is that they can condition the horses not to be afraid of dogs that you might meet out and about.
My dog will follow horses around the arena, so if anybody is going to ride, we put her in her pen.

Yeah my horse used to be terrified of dogs but he doesn't mind them so much anymore, however he still gets nervous when they follow him right on his heels [especially at the trot and canter] and there's two of them that run behind him when I'm riding him. He has given a kick at them too and all the worker does is scream at them to 'get over here now!' and they totally ignore her.

My dog totally ignores me if I tell her what to do. She would no doubt get her head kicked in if she had her way. Thus the pen.........

Lol, yes, but at least you take care of her instead of screaming your head off and then going oh well, whatever.

It's weird, she ties one but not the other two.

Just wanted to commend you for speaking up to the owner about the smoking- in no way should it be allowed, for all of the obvious reasons. As far as the dogs, personally I get annoyed when people bring their pets to a barn and let them run wild and poop everywhere. Good thing you're exploring other options- good luck! :)