A scratch on a horse’s hoof is turning into a major pain for Equine Canada and has show-jumping champion Eric Lamaze hopping mad

What might have been just a minor scratch on a horse's hoof has turned into a major pain for Equine Canada.

Defending Olympic show-jumping champion Eric Lamaze is upset that Equine Canada hasn't shown more support for rider Tiffany Foster, whose horse was disqualified from the London Games.

While Lamaze has called the decision a "miscarriage of justice,'' he stopped short of confirming online reports he will boycott the Spruce Meadows Masters at Calgary next month and the Sunshine Tour in Spain to protest Equine Canada's action.

"This is very early and I'm not going to make any more statements on that,'' Lamaze told The Globe and Mail.

"Yes, I was hurt by the press release from Equine Canada. I feel there was a little lack of support there."

Foster's horse, Victor, was removed from Olympic competition last week after failing a hypersensitivity test intended to protect the welfare of competitive horses. Lamaze, who coaches Foster, argued the sensitivity amounted to a minor scratch above the hoof and that the horse was fit to compete.

[Slideshow: Canadian disappointments in London]

Lamaze said he was shocked by a statement released Tuesday by Equine Canada. In the statement president Michael Gallagher supported the International Equestrian Federation's hypersensitivity protocol and thanked FEI president Princess Haya Al Hussein for making it clear that the disqualification did not imply any wrongdoing on the part of Foster.

Lamaze hopes Equine Canada will change its statement.

"I love riding for Canada and hopefully I will continue to do that,'' he said.

On Wednesday Equine Canada released what it called a clarification on its original statement.

In the statement, Dr. Sylvie Surprenant, an Olympic team veterinarian, called Victor's cut superficial and said the horse was fit to compete since he showed no signs of lameness

"However the FEI hypersensitivity protocol is such that if the horse is sensitive to the touch, regardless of the cause, the horse is disqualified. While the FEI rules for the hypersensitivity protocol were followed, we believe that there should be a review of this protocol."

[Slideshow: Canadian Olympic equestrian team]

Lamaze said loves her horse and would never put it in danger, said Lamaze.

"The main thing is that she did nothing wrong,'' he said. "This was a small cut that could happen to any horse.''

Lamaze said he was surprised by the Equine Canada statement.

"We don't always have to agree with all decisions," he said. "If we think it's unfair, it's not wrong to voice your opinion.''

Akaash Maharaj, a former Equine Canada chief executive officer, called the Equine Canada statement "a public obscenity" and "an affront to every athlete who has ever carried the maple leaf into competition."

Lamaze, riding his horse Hickstead, captured Olympic gold in 2008 by winning a jumpoff against Swedish rider Rolf-Goran Bengtsson. He also helped Canada win silver in the team event.

The Olympic medals came after Lamaze was kicked off Olympic teams in 1996 and 2000 for testing positive for cocaine.

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