Australian Olympic dressage rider Heath Ryan has been provisionally suspended by the FEI and Equestrian Australia following the emergence of a two-year-old video showing him whipping a horse named Nico 42 times during training. Ryan defended his actions by stating the horse was difficult and that he was trying to salvage it before it was sent to slaughter. Despite his explanation, the incident has sparked widespread concern, adding to a recent pattern of high-level dressage riders facing scrutiny for abusive training methods. This has intensified calls for reform in the sport, leading to the establishment of an FEI Working Group aimed at improving horse welfare and training standards.

Equine ethologist Renate Larssen explains that the video depicts abuse rather than training, as the horse shows fear and confusion without learning to respond correctly to pressure-release techniques. She emphasizes that ethical training requires timely release of pressure to teach horses effectively, while repeated punishment leads to learned helplessness or fear, which is both unethical and ineffective. Larssen advocates for recognizing signs of distress, addressing pain or environmental stressors, and returning to foundational training principles to ensure horses’ well-being and successful communication between horse and rider.