Dressage on the jalapeño

That's a bit of a misnomer, because Duke has actually been pretty good under saddle (other than the one day I let him go crazy) on the flat - it's just over fences that he's excitable.
John had us work on a 10 meter circle at the trot and then canter, and then go out to a 20 meter circle and back in.
Duke was really great, but John pushed us to get more round and for me to not just accept as much as Duke gave.  He had me pull my right elbow (at that point, it was the outside elbow) into my rib cage, which Duke reacted very strongly to, so it must be an aid that John uses regularly.  It helped make him round.
He also had me half halt by closing my legs and squeezing (and slowing down the trot by slowing down my posting or sitting - I posted slower) and then, once Duke was round, doing on-off-on-off leg aids.
I did - I think for the first time - think "inside leg to outside hand" and then did it, and then thought "omg, I just finally did it" so that was kind of cool.  I mean, it's taken 30 years, but I finally got it.
John wanted me to sit up and down more in the saddle, not in the perched half seat, but with my seat bones down in the saddle.  With short reins this was hard, I had to really use muscles to push myself back.  But once I was there, I could really wrap my legs down and around Duke, and feel like I was lifting him up into me.
We talked about changing his grain when he's done with his current bag.  John said the Omolene 200 makes them hot - it has a lot of carbohydrates - and Duke doesn't need to gain weight.