Holy Dressage Lesson

Tonight's lesson was chock full of useful things, that I (hopefully) absorbed.
First - I finally - FINALLY - felt my elbow and why it mattered.  If it is out from my side, I lose the connection in the rein.  John was talking about my elbows, and then the next time I cantered, I felt it when it went loose.
Second - John had us work with a little more weight on the inside hip, which pushes Duke to the outside.  He said we'll use it just on 10 meter or 15 meter circles, and then cantering lengthens just at the start and just at the end.  He said Duke is the sort of horse who will learn to ignore it and/or his back will get sore, so don't overdo it.  He said next we'll apply it to leg yields, and if he pins his ears, just back up and don't work on it anymore that day.
Third - we got a high five for the rein connection and hip.
Fourth - we earned hill work!  John had us walk up the hill past his house (round) and then back down, twice.
Fifth - John said that yes, we'll start with Modified at Spokane, and his goal is that we'll ride Prelim this year.  He said that sometimes he might make us drop down to Training, just so Duke has an easy round, and to trust him on that.  And I said of course.  He said sometimes it's hard for the riders to back down, but it's for the horse.
Sixth - John said to ride with the inside hand just a little shorter rein than the outside, so that I don't have to pull my inside hand back so far, and so the reins don't look lopsided.
Seventh - we talked about the show.  He said I was still cutting the one line in too much (despite working on it in my lesson (twice), at the clinic, and then having rounds to do it at the show).  John said that the 3' too short lines will be part of how to ride at the show, and that horses get faster and flatter as the course goes on, so putting a short line at the end of the show means people get rails on the last fence.  He said that Duke rides best when he comes around the corner and looks at the fence, instead of grabbing the bit and charging to it.
We also talked some about Duke's personality and how he likes to be ridden.  John says he doesn't like even connection on the rein, so each side you have to ride him just a little different.  He said it took him about 4 months to figure Duke out.  And that he memorizes the tests and starts doing the movements too soon, so make sure not to drill them in order.
We worked on 20 meter circles, then would do 10 meter, and the art here was using legs to bend him around the circle.  He said that I'm doing it fine in show jumping, so I can definitely do it in dressage too.
It was a lot more work getting Duke round, at one point John gave me 20 seconds to do it (and, even being generous, we made it by a hair).  There was some think flex to the outside, but before he bends go back to inside (without moving outside elbow).
It was a great lesson.  Duke worked really well, and I feel like we've started to make some forward progress.  John said he thinks it was Duke's response to the 10 meter circles this winter, as well as seeing and feeling how different he moved after John rode him.
It was also great to have a clear day after Daylight Savings, so it was still light when we left, and I even walked the dogs too.