Davy Russell punched his horse.

If that’s not bizarre enough, the Irish jockey was suspended Tuesday … but only after animal activist groups and racing fans on social media pressured the Turf Club, Ireland’s governing body, into action, the Washington Post reported.

Russell, 38, was riding Kings Dolly when the horse declined to jump over a handicap hurdle. When the jockey couldn’t get the mare to clear the hurdle, he punched her in the back of the head.

His original punishment was a warning for “bringing the sport into disrepute.”

Well, plenty of people on social media thought the Turf Club’s inaction brought its own bit of disrepute.

“The ISPCA is appalled by the incident … and believes that this behavior is completely unacceptable,” the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals said in a statement. “We are disappointed that the jockey was sanctioned not for hitting the horse but for damaging the reputation of horse racing, under rule 272.

“The same jockey was banned for 14 days last year for being rude to a steward. It is alarming that the Irish Turf Club treated that breach of its rules more seriously than hitting a horse.”

The Turf Club decided to suspend Russell for four days. That’s still sending the message that being rude to someone is a worse offense than punching a horse in the head.

The BBC was the first to report the suspension.