Photographs surfaced on social media of his groom apparently using a pole to strike a horse during schooling in Valencia.

The former Olympic champion show jumper feels vindicated over ‘barring’ allegations; any method of touching a horse’s leg now banned.

The German Olympian was caught on video repeatedly subjecting horses to this illegal and painful form of 'training'.

TV station RTL is set to broadcast video of the controversial practice, but has refused to give the German equestrian federation a copy.