8. Flogging A Live Horse
The Moment: Looking back on the first series from our darker, colder standpoint is a strange experience, not least because some of the key plot points it set up are still hanging. Given his prominence in the Lannister's rise, the two-year absence of Ser Gregor Clegane, appropriately dubbed The Mountain, is particularly odd. Maybe that's because his introduction was so striking. Already imposing as the older, more dangerous brother of the Hound, it could easily have been the story of him burning his sibling's face that got him on this list if it wasn't for his sudden channelling of every bad loser in history. After being knocked off his ride by Loras Tyrell (who admittedly cheated) during a jousting match, he beheads his horse as a punishment because, well, it could never be his fault.
Why It's So Sickening: It's a violent action in itself that given the controversy around the Grand National feels incredibly cutting. Violence to animals always tends to strike a chord and this moment in it's blood splattering glory stands up mainly because it's so ridiculously out of the blue. In traditional jousting there were strict rules against injuring opponents, with killing the other's horse leading to immediate disqualification. There's little said about killing your own horse because, well, who would be brutal enough to do it?