Animal rights organization PETA is calling for a total ban on horse events at future Olympic games.
This comes after a German modern pentathlon coach was kicked out of the Olympics for punching a horse, and an another horse was put to sleep after suffering an irreparable ligament rupture at an event, Reuters reports.
These incidents prompted PETA to call for new rules to be enforced for the safety of the competing animals.
The organization wrote on its Twitter page: "Athletes can choose to compete, animals can't. Horses don't belong in the #Olympics."
The Olympic horse was punched when it refused to jump for German athlete Annika Schleu prior to the women's event on Friday, August 6, NBC News reports.
As she struggled to control the horse named Saint Boy in the arena, Coach Kim Raisner was filmed punching the back of the animal.
In the event, athletes are given just 20 minutes to bond with unknown horses prior to taking part, and Saint Boy had already proven to be a challenging animal to the first athlete.
Schleu was subsequently pictured crying when she realised she would be unable to compete because of the animal.
Meanwhile, on August 1, another horse was put to sleep after it appeared lame while competing with Swiss rider Robin Godel on the cross country course, Reuters reports.
This led to the race being stopped so that the 14-year-old horse named Saint Jet could be taken for medical treatment.
"The horse received immediate veterinary attention at the fence and, after an initial assessment, was transferred by horse ambulance to the onsite Veterinary Clinic," the equestrian federation FEI said in a statement.
"Sadly, ultrasound scans revealed an irreparable ligament rupture in the lower right limb, just above the hoof, and on humane grounds and with the agreement of the owners and athlete, the decision was taken to put the horse to sleep."
PETA were not the only ones to suggest that horse events should be banned from the Olympics after this year's games.
One Twitter user remarked: "This has been the worst Olympics on record for equestrian sport.
"Bleeding horses, eventing horse being put down, jumpers crashing and falling, pentathlon athletes displaying horrific horsemanship and beating their horse. Equestrian is going to be banned soon."
A second said of the punching incident: "A clearly distressed beautiful living creature is forced into a situation it has no desire to be in and the riders solution is to quite literally punch it. This 'spor' should not be in the Olympics (give the horses the medals) and it should be banned outright."
A third agreed, writing: "At yesterday's Olympics we saw Saint [Boy] looking sweaty and horrified and then being punched by a coach after refusing to jump. Another Horse, Jet Set was killed after falling on a jump and injuring his leg. Equestrian sports should end."
Do you think it's ethical for horses to be used in the Olympics?