Heath Ryan finished seventh with Australia in the team dressage event at the 2008 Olympics
Australian Olympian Heath Ryan has been suspended by Equestrian Australia after a video emerged that appeared to show him repeatedly whipping a horse.
Ryan, 66, represented Australia in dressage at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.
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".
Ryan said the horse, named Nico, came to him after an accident which resulted in a female rider needing hospital treatment.
