Australian Olympic equestrian Heath Ryan suspended for 18 months for animal cruelty following a video showing scenes of abuse
Animal Cruelty – 18-Month Suspension Following Video of Beating: Australian Olympic Rider Heath Ryan “Wanted to Save Horse from Slaughterhouse”
from Jan Tönjes 
Australian rider Heath Ryan, pictured here at the 2009 World Cup Final in Las Vegas, was handed an 18-month suspension by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) for animal cruelty. Photo: sportfotos-lafrentz.de The video that led to the conviction of Australian Heath Ryan for animal cruelty shows the Olympic rider (Hong Kong 2008) sitting on a horse. He repeatedly strikes the animal with a riding crop. Ryan had also competed in dressage, including at the World Cup Final. In a public statement, he explained the footage—which was made public in 2025—as follows:
Blows to “Save a Horse from the Slaughterhouse”
Heath Ryan’s argument: The horse, which was six years old at the time, was supposed to go to
the slaughterhouse
, and he wanted to save it from that fate: “A terrible video has just surfaced showing me on a young horse. This horse was dropped off at my place on its way to the slaughterhouse,” he said in his statement. He continued: “I felt obligated to the horse to just see if it might still be salvageable (…) I’ve never ridden a horse like that before. I’m so sad that this was filmed …”
FEI Tribunal Sends Ryan to Suspension for Animal Cruelty
Ryan’s arguments apparently failed to convince the FEI Tribunal. It has issued a final ruling in the case: the incident constituted animal cruelty toward the horse. In its final decision, the FEI Tribunal imposed an 18-month suspension on Ryan, effective from the date of the provisional suspension imposed on him on June 12, 2025.
“Brought Equestrian Sports into Disrepute”
The FEI Tribunal considers it proven that Ryan violated several FEI articles, specifically citing animal cruelty (Article 142.1 of the General Regulations). Furthermore, the Australian’s actions brought both the FEI and equestrian sports into disrepute (violation of the FEI Code of Conduct for the Welfare of the Horse, Article 164.12(i) of the FEI General Regulations).
In the summer of 2025, reports of animal cruelty were filed simultaneously with the national federation Equestrian Australia and the FEI.
The suspension was initially imposed on the man, who is now 68, in June 2015. With the tribunal’s decision, it is now final. The 18-month suspension ends on December 12, 2026.
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