A leading jockey has been accused of animal cruelty after he posted a video on social media that showed him apparently torturing a southern eagle ray on a fishing trip off the Mornington Peninsula.

Michael Walker, 32, who mostly rides for legendary horse trainer David Hayes, posted the video on Friday before deleting it following heavy criticism.

Jockey Michael Walker has been accused of animal cruelty after allegedly torturing a southern eagle ray with a knife on a fishing trip at Hastings. Credit:Facebook

The video appeared to show him bashing the flailing ray in the head with a knife and then pinning it to the boat with the knife through the head before throwing it back into the water alive and bloody.

Walker was posting videos and pictures from a fishing boat off the coast of Hastings.