Dressage after four days off

Duke got new shoes Tuesday, immediately twisted one and stabbed himself in the foot with the clamp, and so got most of the week off.
I couldn't tell if he was a tiny bit off or just stiff from his week off and forgetting how to be ridden, but it led to John riding him, which was awesome, as always.
He was pretty stiff for John, and John did a lot of counterbend, some leg yields down the long side, and then counter canter.
When I got on, we worked on getting him forward and then round, and depending on which direction we were going (and thus, which way he was stiff), I'd keep my outside hand steady (going left, I pushed it into his withers to hold it still) and then move my outside leg back to push his haunches in towards John in the center of the circle, inside leg up in front of the girth, close to his shoulder, and then squeeze and release inside hand to get a bend.
We did some counterbend, moving him in a smaller circle around John, then bend, then leg yield back out onto the main circle.  Once he softened and gave over his topline, I'd release to reward him.
If he's tilting his head to the inside, I use the outside hand, but other than that, I keep the outside hand steady.
The big thing John reminded me of is that half halt aids are a steady squeeze, not a squeeze and release like a go forward aid.  I have definitely not been doing that right.
John said I should also work on a positive mental attitude, instead of always focusing on the negative.  That's a good life lesson as well.
It was good to be working hard again, and it will be nice when I can ride Duke as well as John does without needing John to talk me through every step.