Shane Rose can be reduced to tears when he speaks about his horse Virgil.
The three-time Australian Olympic equestrian medallist made the point as he discussed how crucial animal welfare is in the sport.
The issue is in the spotlight on the eve of the Paris Games after star British rider Charlotte Dujardin was provisionally suspended for whipping a horse's legs.
Dujardin, who was a strong British flag bearer candidate for the opening ceremony, will now not compete at the Olympics after video emerged of the whipping incident.
"In our sport, if you want a horse to do the things we ask them to do, they have to want to do it," Rose told AAP on Thursday at the Versailles competition venue.
"Every time you ask me a question about my horse, I cry - the bond we have with them."
Dujardin was provisionally suspended on Tuesday after equestrian's governing body launched an investigation into her conduct.
The video, which was aired on the Good Morning Britain news program on Wednesday, shows Dujardin walking beside the horse, which is carrying another rider, and whipping it along.
The video is said to be from several years ago, when Dujardin was coaching the other rider.
The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) said they were looking into a video where she had engaged in "conduct contrary to the principles of horse welfare".
Djuardin said in a video statement announcing her Olympic withdrawal on Instagram on Tuesday that footage showed her making an error of judgement that was out of character and did not reflect how she trained her horses or coached her pupils.
Equine abuse came into the spotlight at the modern pentathlon event at the Tokyo Olympics when a German coach struck a horse that refused to jump a fence.
Modern pentathlon has replaced its equestrian element with obstacle racing after the Paris Games.
Animal rights organisation PETA renewed its call for equestrian events to be banned from the Olympics.
Dujardin won three golds, a silver and two bronze medals at the London, Rio and Tokyo Games in individual and team dressage.
With six medals, she is Britain's joint-most decorated female Olympian alongside cyclist Laura Kenny.
Rose, Kevin McNab and Chris Burton will start competition on Saturday in team eventing.
- with Reuters
