1st? 2nd? It's all new to me.

We continued to build the next level above our foundation in our lesson with Mike today. He said that yes, next year I should show Willig 1st level, while continuing to work on 2nd and 3rd level moves (!!). He said that he thinks every horse and rider have the potential to go to FEI level if they work hard, because unlike jumping, dressage builds as you go, instead of having the natural limitation of the scope of the jumper. Later, he said that Willig and I were talented enough to keep going, and I took that as a compliment and rolled it around and around with me.
We started with a discussion of my dressage test and how the judges score. Mike gave some input into how he scores, which for any of you who haven't scribed at a local show, you should definitely do it, just for the insight and experience. I was mostly curious about my "tactful", and although Mike wasn't there, he interprets it as a comment for when the horse is being a bit of a goof and the rider doesn't overreact.
So then we started with a repeat (I couldn't do his job - repeating the same thing to me every other week!) about starting him out WORKING. I let Willig blaahhhh down into trot and bllaahhhh around instead of having snappy work starting right away. It's a bad habit, and there's no reason for it. He can start working on the bit after he's warmed up. He doesn't need the first few transitions to remember how to do a transition from walk to trot.
And of course, Mike continued to remind me about stretching my heel down and my knees relaxed. As soon as I think about other things, and especially when I'm trying to get Willig to move out, my leg sneaks back up.
And, let's not forget the left bend. I still don't bend him equally, and my pesky right hand, all during the lesson, kept being further back than my left. Even when I touch my thumbs together, when Mike tells me to look down, that hand is in the wrong place. It's actually kind of creepy.
For the bulk of the lesson, we worked on the trot to canter to trot transitions. This was hard. I asked Willig to come UP but with the same tempo, and then LIFT up into canter from this position, instead of running into canter. Then I'd ask him to hold his head up and slooowwww his canter down (this is sitting back, making sure I'm wiping the saddle with my pelvis, and half halts at the "front" of the wipe combined with some leg aid) and then speed it up again, if we didn't break into trot (which we almost always did). This is teaching Willig to use his hindquarters, but also that there are different speeds I will ask for, and slow down doesn't always mean go down a gait. Mike pointed out that Willig goes twice as fast stretched out as I can get him to slow down, so we need to practice on the slooowwwwiinngg.
Then we left the 20 meter circle and worked the whole arena, doing leg yield both directions. At 1st level, it is center line (A) to R or S. At 2nd level, it is A to B or E. Willig does this fairly well, despite me really having no idea what I'm doing. Mike's main comment is to not let his neck get too crooked, and once we totally lost impulsion when he saw a horse outside.
Then we lengthened down the long sides and across the diagonals. At this (which we did a bit of right at the start too), I tend to, once he really gets moving - bizarrely - throw him away. Even when he leans on me a bit, if I hold him up, he doesn't kind of "splay" out when we really get moving.
Also, at the start, I showed Mike how Willig likes to scootch out sideways (usually towards the wall) when he has been falling asleep (ha ha - I can't even believe I just typed that about Willig) and I ask him to get back to work. Well. Guess who that is? Right! Me! It is my failure to use the outside aids - the rein and leg. As soon as I include them, he straightens right out.
We also came down the center line and did some trot, slow down, walk, halt, walk, trot, halts so I could feel the smoothness of keeping him connected into the halt.
We wrapped up with some stretchy circle at the trot, which exhausted Willig was grateful for.
And Mike suggested that one thing that gets a horse used to show jumps is to take him to like a jumper night, and enter him in 10 classes, and even if he's bored by the 8th one, make him go 2 more rounds. This is a genius idea, since otherwise, it takes him 10 shows - and all spread out so they lose their impact. I was thinking I was pretty much done, but Mike also pointed out that whether I'm riding him 1st or training or 2nd, he's going to be a goof about the same stuff, since that's how he is, and I just need to get him the experience under his girth. (He also, like the wise sage he is, pointed out that I COULD just ask him to do something else when he starts to be a goof.)
So overall, Willig is starting to work more on his hindquarters, lift his head up, we're working more on crisper but more balanced transitions and starting some lateral work, and I'm continuing to work on my lower leg and heel. It still feels like I am riding pigeon-toed (to barely be in the right position) but it's less weird than it was a week ago.