Duke off for today's lesson, but some good discussion

After we watched the lesson before us, Duke and I took about three steps at the trot before it was obvious he was lame on the left front.  So, that was that.  It was still interesting to watch the lesson for some of the jumps we jumped earlier this week, and Duke was so quiet and still the whole time, like a good boy.
I followed John around for a while afterwards with my pressing questions, but first:
- He said measure the toe length and compare it to the number we came up with a few months ago, then let my farrier know and then the next shoeing, make the farrier stick to it.
- Put turpentine on his hooves, works better than durasole or the keratase (I forgot its name).  Not watered down.
- 2 grams of bute today.
- Walk him only Sunday and Monday.

For Jumpernite and schooling shows, John said that depending on the course, the jumpernite could be useful, but not enough if isn't the things Duke needs to work on.
For dressage schooling, yes, that could also be useful, but we haven't started working on the rein back yet because it messes with their halt, so he doesn't want to work on it until we have to.
For attitude at the show, someone who is working with him a lot and then slacks off, there is a difference in their riding.  This was interesting, and I hadn't thought about it.  That John could get us up a level, but then we could back slide on our own.  It makes sense, I just hadn't thought about it.  But that yes, I'm a sore loser, and it's ok to go inside my trailer and kick the tires, but then I need to be nicer to the other competitors.
Ashley is working on making money, not going out on her own.  (note to self:  big difference) but yes, ok to be helping her get some students.
For cross country vs. show jumping, we talked about the speed, the distance a canter stride is, and how short show jumping is compared to cross country.  So if there's a screwed up step or two in show jumping, it is - proportionally - way more significant to the total round than cross country.  He said it's anxiety that shuts my brain down in show jumping (and makes me not breathe, and makes me tight, which Duke feels, Duke gets tight, and that makes it easier for him to knock a rail).
He said that it isn't just cross country where things are slowing down, that he can see in my dressage tests now (vs a few years ago) that I am thinking my way through the test - noticing a problem, thinking about how to fix it, and then starting to fix it.  A few years ago I couldn't do that.
John said when he started teaching me, he would use about 40 words a minute, so I had time to process what he was saying.  I was asking about this because of our last lesson where he told me he couldn't tell me every aid fast enough, so I needed to remember to do some of them myself, which is what prompted me to pull out my theory books (also because Practical Horseman had Jimmy Wofford saying that the elite students could ride, but couldn't describe the aids that you use for specific movements).  That's what prompted me to play up my strengths - I may not have good feel, but I can memorize the sequences of aids, and it is high time I refresh myself on theory, now that I've got a few more years of experience riding with him under my belt.
So we're going to try again for a lesson on Tuesday, and this was my wake-up call not to slack on Duke's feet.