We noticed this photo of a jumper rider at one of the winter circuits, showing over fences in draw reins.

Per U.S. Equestrian Federation rules, this is legal in classes with less than $1,000 in prize money, but we asked three top show jumpers to weigh in on the controversial practice.

Anne Kursinski:

I’ve never used draw reins in my life. Not to show, not to jump, not to flat. I don’t own a pair. Use a running martingale, or a standing for the hunters if your horse needs it—especially for a more novice rider. There’s no place for draw reins in the show ring.

By using draw reins, all you’re doing is putting a straight jacket on your horse, and you can really hurt his mouth and neck if they’re used wrong. You see them a lot, but most people around the horse show are lazy, and they’re butchers. Go get some dressage lessons and learn to ride.

No one I teach uses them, and if someone shows up with a clinic with them I ask them to take them off first thing. If they’re long draw reins and not hooked to a yoke you could have a really bad accident, especially while jumping. I’ve seen it.

Five-time Olympian Anne Kursinski earned team silver medals at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games and the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, as well as team and individual gold medals from the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas.

Norman Dello Joio:

Draw reins can be a razor in a monkey’s hand. I don’t think that juniors or amateurs should be allowed to use draw reins in the ring. It’s harder to control the professional divisions and say you can’t [use them] under USEF rules.

I’ve jumped in draw reins a couple times in my career, but it’s not something I normally do. I was classically trained by Bert de Nemethy, so I’m generally not a believer in it. In special cases it can be useful; again it goes down to who’s holding the reins.

It’s a shortcut. You see [the results of this] all the time, especially in the equitation—horses going around with no self-carriage. It comes down to safety and basic horsemanship. I’ve seen a lot of bad accidents as the result of jumping in draw reins, where a horse gets his leg through while he’s jumping.

Norman Dello Joio, Wellington, Fla., won the 1983 FEI World Cup Final and earned the bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.

Markus Beerbaum:

In smaller classes or schooling your horse I think draw reins can be useful. But it should be used as assistance, not abused as in the old German way. Draw reins should be used to help to show the horse the frame you want and make riding a little easier, the same way sometimes you need a stronger bit. It’s not right for every horse. They’d be best for horses that need to go a little more European style ride, to stay between the hand and leg of the rider.

I think professional riders should jump and show with draw reins if needed, and juniors and amateurs only with the guidance of a professional. Under my guidance my students do.

In Europe you may not show at all with draw reins. It may make more sense if the height of the jumps restricted whether you may show with draw reins, rather than the amount of prize money.

German show jumper Markus Beerbaum won team gold at the 1998 FEI World Equestrian Games in Rome.