In this paper, using polarization analysis, we characterized the seismic waves induced by the horizontal smooth blasting in a group of onsite blasting experiments, presenting interpretation of wave components and offering comparison of attenuation characteristics and evaluation of the influences of different waves. We also examined the inherent mechanical mechanism of the horizontal smooth blasting under some simplifications. The results show that the proportion of different waves and the dominant wave type both vary with the relative location of interest, and the dominant motion direction at a specific position closely correlates with the wave components. The pattern of the blasting source and the different attenuation characteristics jointly determine the wave components and their evolutions. For the horizontal smooth blasting, only S and R waves are included on the same plane of smooth blastholes, while the P wave component is negligible. The horizontal vibration is mainly caused by the R wave, while the S wave mainly vibrates in the vertical direction and its vertical velocity in the near field is much higher than that of the R wave. However, the R wave still dominates the vertical vibration if the scaled distance exceeds 22.5 m/kg1/2 (58−67 m), due to the different attenuation speeds of S and R waves. As for the seismic waves outside the same plane of smooth blastholes, the influence of the P wave cannot be ignored and it might become the dominant wave type somewhere. This study can help to enhance the understanding of blast-induced seismic waves.