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Australian Olympian Heath Ryan has been suspended by Equestrian Australia after a video emerged that appeared to show him repeatedly whipping a horse.<\/b><\/p>\n
Ryan, 66, represented Australia in dressage at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.<\/p>\n
The video – said by Ryan to be about two years old – shows a man striking a horse around 40 times. Ryan issued a statement to say he was acting in “the horse’s best interest”.<\/p>\n
Ryan said the horse, named Nico, came to him after an accident which resulted in a female rider needing hospital treatment.<\/p>\n
The Australian said that Nico “had always been a problem child and would just not stop” and after the video he was able to rehome the horse.<\/p>\n
Ryan said, external<\/span><\/a>: “I am so sad this was caught on video. If I had been thinking of myself I would have immediately just gotten off and sent Nico to the knackery.<\/p>\n “That video was a life or death moment for Nico and I genuinely had to try my very hardest to see if Nico would consider other options.<\/p>\n “All of this transpired sincerely with the horse’s best interests the sole consideration. Unbelievably it was so successful for everyone except me with the release of this video.”<\/p>\n Britain’s three-time Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin<\/a> missed the Paris Games last year after a video emerged of her repeatedly striking a horse around its legs with a long whip. She was subsequently banned for a year by the FEI, equestrian sport’s world governing body.<\/p>\n After the Ryan video drew attention, Equestrian Australia said it had received a formal complaint about one of its members and had imposed a provisional suspension from all competitions and events.<\/p>\n