Refinement lesson with Mike

In today's lesson, we worked on three main things:
Two dressage movements for Tr-4 and 1-1 that I didn't understand from the test, and
The decreasing canter.
We started with the canter, and had a small light bulb go off - poor Mike was repeating for the 8 millionth time to get my heel down and decided to try a different tactic - the instant he saw my leg and heel go into the right position, he asked me what I was thinking to get it there. This is so embarrassing - "frog legs". Once in a lesson, Mike said something about thinking about jumping like a frog - in an effort to get me to get my knee back and my leg back and push the weight back instead of pinching with my knee and hunching forward. And for whatever reason, it worked, so whenever I think "frog legs", I get off my knee and get my leg straight and back (even though it feels back behind me, like a frog jumping) which makes my heel go down naturally, instead of forcing.
Mike suggested that I ride in my regular boots, instead of paddock boots and half chaps, because they are more rigid and don't allow your ankle to flex all over the place (like my ankle was crazy dancing today). He also suggested thinking that I have a cast on, that holds my leg immobile.
Which led to my next light bulb - the pestering question of why my leg can be so fine in the walk and then go all to shit in the trot (and then even more bizarrely, back to pretty good in the canter). Well - it's because I'm asking Willig to move-move-move at the trot. And I do that my clenching my knee and then lifting up with my heel and gouging Willig with the bottom of my boot - instead of the tippity-tap-tap kind of like a cymbal on his side.
So I'll hold my leg in the "new" position, and then when I want to move Willig forward, I'll revert to the "old" position, and then try to cram back down into the new position. Huh.
After that breakthrough, we worked on the canter and the feeling of slowing him (and lifting), and I pointed out that Willig would only do it for a few strides, then he'd fall out or I'd have to ask him to move forward. This is because it's hard. Der, Martha. He's got to build up to being able to going all the way around the arena, and so it's ok to just ask him for a few strides, then ask him to stretch out again. It's teaching him I can ask for different speeds and it doesn't mean different gaits. What's amazing is his sensitivity to my butt - as soon as I start thinking about slowing down - seriously - he slows down. I have to think but not think it to get prepared.
Mike was riding the horse before my lesson for a few minutes, so he had all his riding gear on, and next he got on Willig. It was interesting to watch all the teeny tiny movements he is making (and his tippity-tap-tap leg - something I can see, but can't imagine feeling so I've got to really think about that one) and how good Willig looks.
But here was the miracle. He got off, I got back on, and it was like someone had blown up a balloon in Willig's shoulders. He was - FATTER yet lighter! And sooo easy to ride and such a delight and it was just bam! bam! bam! with what I wanted. With like, 5-10 minutes of Mike on him.
So that was super cool to feel and to see what we're moving toward.
We wrapped up with Mike attempting to help me ride the two patterns I didn't understand, and then fortunately, Jess came in for her lesson, so I just followed her while she rode them.
The 3 loop serpentine is a 1/4 circle, 1/2 circle, 1/4 circle. It's going to be a super fun test to prepare to ride next year.