In June, a video surfaced showing Olympic equestrian Heath Ryan repeatedly whipping a horse, prompting Equestrian Australia (EA) to impose a provisional suspension and launch an investigation. Although EA received a formal complaint and the video link five weeks prior, the issue was only escalated to leadership in mid-June after the video became public. The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has since taken over the investigation, also suspending Ryan from competition. Ryan defended his actions as being in the horse’s best interest, aiming to salvage the animal rather than send it to slaughter.

EA, which receives significant government funding, has recently implemented reforms to strengthen integrity and horse welfare, including appointing a National Integrity Manager and launching a confidential reporting hotline. The organization aims to position Australia as a world leader in horse welfare amid ongoing scrutiny following this incident. Meanwhile, RSPCA NSW has deferred to the FEI for the investigation due to Ryan’s international competitor status.