Huntswoman repeatedly whips protester with riding crop after he grabs her horse on camera

Rider in video heard shouting 'get off my horse' as saboteur attempts to grab reigns

A huntswoman on a horse repeatedly whipped a protester with a riding crop, video footage has shown.

The rider is heard in the video shouting “get off my horse” while she hits out at a masked man who is seen trying to grab onto the reins.

The man, from the Brighton Hunt Saboteurs, claimed the huntswoman used her whip 17 times before charging towards a group of protesters.

The alleged clash with the East Sussex & Romney Marsh Hunt Club was caught on video by the saboteurs and was posted to Facebook, where it has been viewed more than 350,000 times.

Some of the commenters said the rider had “lost the plot” while others defended her and said the horse was “spooked”.

"You hold on to a woman's horse, completely spooking it and causing danger to both the rider, the horse and those around you - and you don't expect any reconciliation for doing so?" one commenter said, according to the Daily Mail.

Sussex Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward and a spokesman for the force said: “A third party report of an assault has been made after a man was allegedly struck with a riding crop by a horse rider in Herstmonceux on Saturday.

“The incident happened in a field off Church Road around 12.30pm. The victim was reported to have received a bruise and bump to the head, but did not require medical treatment.

“The informant was not a witness to the incident, but police have now identified the alleged victim and an investigation is under way.

“Police are aware of a video reportedly showing the incident being available on social media.”