A horse trainer has denied whipping an animal during a disturbing video uncovered by 7NEWS.
Vision allegedly showed Perth trainer Mike Santich repeatedly striking a horse with a rope, before a woman throws a rock at it.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Disturbing video shows horse allegedly being whipped
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The animal recoiled, but was tethered at the time and and could not escape.
“It’s absolutely cruel and it is awful to watch,” Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses general manager Helle Erhardsen said.
“It’s heartbreaking for a horse who you can see is trying so hard to do the right thing but there’s simply no way out.”
Santich, who is known in the racing world as the Croatian Sensation, told 7NEWS “that wasn’t whipping at all”.
“I had food down there. I tried (to) get the horse to walk to the water,” he said.
“(With the lead rope) he can’t feel nothing.”
Perth horse trainer Mike Santich is being investigated after a horse was filmed being whipped with a rope. Credit: 7NEWS
In May, the trainer was slapped with a five month ban from racing over a separate incident.
CCTV captured him punching a horse in the head twice and another two times in the abdomen.
“OK, I punched a horse in the jaw,” he told 7NEWS.
“All bones in the jaw, my hand was hurting more than the horse.
“He didn’t feel it.”
He added: “Look darling … you can argue with me all you like — I said to you I didn’t hurt a horse.”
Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) refused to release footage of the punching incident.
Perth horse trainer Mike Santich denies whipping the horse and said he was trying to lead it to water. Credit: 7NEWS
The RSPCA investigated the alleged whipping incident in 2024, with an inspector attending the property and strongly encouraging Santich to use other training methods.
An RWWA spokesperson said “the conduct is not consistent … with contemporary expectations” but there is not “sufficient grounds to pursue regulatory action” because the footage was taken two years ago.
Racing and Wagering Minister David Michael said there is an appeal underway.
“The mistreatment of animals has no place in WA including within the WA racing industry,” Michael said.
“I will be watching this case closely, noting that the matter is undergoing an appeal.
“Incoming Racing and Gaming Minister Don Punch informs me he will discuss this matter with both RWWA and their independent reviewers as a matter of priority.”
Animal advocacy groups have called out a glaring conflict of interest, with an industry that profits from racing also policing itself.
“This industry receives a huge amount of public funding from taxpayers so surely they have a right to see what’s actually going on behind the glamorous facade,” Erhardsen said.
“It’s simply not going to happen as long as we let racing investigate themselves.”
Santich will return to training horses in October.
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