Draw reins & trailer

Well, I got my trailer bent funny in the driveway, and John had to drive it in and then help me back out.  That was ... well, inevitable.  I guess I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner.  He said because Ford have a huge turning radius, and it takes a while for the trailer to move, that I'm overcorrecting, and instead, I should do little movements and trust that it's going to turn.  I tried parking it like that when I got home and it worked like a charm.

For our lesson, we worked with draw reins, because John said to ride with them every once in a while, but I'm too chicken shit to do it on my own.  Duke was great, and worked hard, as always.  We worked on bending him through his body (not just in his neck) to break up the stiffness.  This is sometimes with my inside hand (and leg), and sometimes with a half halt on the outside hand (and both legs), and sometimes, when he doesn't give, bend to the outside.
We did 10 meter trot circles, started 10 meter canter circles, then let him do 15 meter canter circles.  He got tired after the first set of canter both directions, but John had him keep going, and he didn't act up.
The transitions were hard - John made us redo them if he stiffened and put his head up in the air, so we had to do each one several times before we got it right.  He seems to pick up the canter better if I push the inside hip down and forward when I'm asking for the canter (with inside leg forward, outside leg back).  Transitions down, however, just feel like a crap shoot.  I am asking him to bend with my inside hand, but sometimes he throws his head up (mostly) and sometimes (rarely) he doesn't.
When he lifts his back up and is going round, I can squeeze him with my whole leg, it feels like I can wrap around him.  But when he's hollow in his back, if I squeeze with my upper leg, it just makes my lower leg swing.  John said yes.  I also have a hard time making my hands be independent; if my left hand gives, my right hand wants to also.

During my lesson, it's amazing, but like I've said the last few blog posts, afterwards, I just cannot repeat it (and can barely describe it) by myself.  John said to give when he bends (but I can't always feel it), and he kept having to tell me to take up the reins (especially with my left hand).
I think the last couple times though, I have done a little better the next couple rides by myself, so maybe it is slowly sinking in.  I hope this is another one of the learning stages where we're stuck on a big step up, but once we make it, we'll have a new view.  (And not the limits of how well I can ride.)