A few days with John, and it's like riding a different horse

 Duke felt completely different today. He was balanced, he didn't chew on the bit, he didn't yank on my hands, I didn't have to nag him with my leg, it felt like his back was lifted. When I gave an aid he responded. I don't quite know how to describe everything that was different, but he was so easy and comfortable to ride. He didn't plunge towards the fences, it felt like we were going slow but we covered the ground.

John says for the show, to ride him in his jump bridle, that he likes it more, to leave him at Caber, he thinks it helps with Duke needing to pee, to wear the ear nets, and if he stops, to drop my legs out of the stirrups to try to surprise him into thinking I'm getting off. He said Duke can't learn that it's ok to stop and then he doesn't have to work anymore. (Although I also should have gotten back on him at Caber and just ridden the holy shit out of him in warm up.)

John said he wore ear nets (no real difference, because ...) Duke didn't really act up for John. He got tense once, but that was it. John says he thinks Duke is clever enough to know the difference on who is riding him, and he does what he thinks that rider prefers. Like John likes to add a stride and I like to lengthen. 

We did a little warm up, where I had to get him more round, then jumped a little cross rail, a vertical, and then a baby oxer, then an oxer 4 strides to a vertical (the first time we did it in five) on a bending line to the right, then oxer 5 strides to a vertical, and then oxer, 5 strides to vertical, right hand turn to a hard right turn to an oxer, 2 strides to a vertical, left turn, angle the oxer hard for a straight line to a vertical.

Duke was smooth and easy.

So I don't know if I'm mad or happy. Maybe a professional (or a better rider) could ride him. And if he's smart enough to not do it with John (granted, not at a show), then if we can just figure out what I'm doing that I need to change (too busy with my hands? inconsistent aids?) it will make Duke happy and me a better rider. But riding him feeling this good was also good/bad because I realized how stiff and unpleasant he is to ride most of the time.

John said the big thing on the flat was that Duke doesn't want to do the final bend. He gets stuck and gets mad and John just had to push him through it - make him bend and keep asking, don't give up.

For jumping, he said Duke wanted to grab the bit and rush at it (not quite those words) and he had to be patient. He said he was like "look asshole, you know how to put in a stride".