Q. I have been riding for about three years now. It has been all in dressage. But now I think I want to try a bit of jumping for a while, and I asked my instructor. Jumps do scare me, so I was wondering, what are the major differences when riding and controlling? And what am I getting myself into?

A. Flight! That's what you're getting yourself into. For some, it is pure exhiliaration. For others, it is sheer terror. For many, it is a combination of both.

Your background in dressage should serve you quite well in your new jumping pursuits. I assume you have developed very strong and steady legs as well as considerable suppleness through your spine and seat during the course of your dressage instruction. Just as in dressage, the hunt seat rider finds her balance and effectiveness in these essential elements. Though the hunter generally moves in a somewhat more relaxed frame than the dressage horse, the rider's application and the horse's understanding of the aids should be comparable.

The major differences you will experience are in terms of your position in the saddle and stirrup length. Work over fences is done primarily in an "ahead of the vertical" position. Whereas in dressage work your spinal column is held in a position perpendicular to the ground, in hunt seat, you will find yourself leaning slightly forward much of the time, particularly in work over fences.

Your stirrups will also be necessarily shortened to allow for more closed leg and hip joints which in turn make it possible to be moved up and forward with the horse over jumps. The shortening of your legs against the horse's side will take a bit of getting used to, but again, the proper use of your legs will not change.

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of working over fences is relaxing enough to allow the horse to close your body angles for you and thrust your seat just the appropriate amount out of the saddle during the jumping effort rather than you trying to make yourself assume proper jumping position. Working too hard to control a jump and your part in it is a sure path to tension and stiffness. These are a rider's worst enemies which, when transmitted through the saddle to the horse, will cause refusals and runouts. So relax. Always exhale over a jump - never hold your breath - maintain a steady position through your legs and flexibility in all joints from your hips down.