"Dressage"

       I learned something.  In the wonderful movie “Buck,” a first class documentary about the real “horse whisperer,” Buck Brannaman, someone pointed out the marvels of “dressage.”
 
       Horses are rehearsed in doing the most refined movements of which they are capable, almost ballet.  But the horse is actually being asked to do what is very useful in all sorts of work situations, herding cattle, roping steers, etc.  And once it gets the idea, “OK then, this is PRACTICE,” the horse goes right along with dressage (French dresser, "train," "drill").

       I guess I never realized all that side-stepping and backing and prancing were not just hoidy toidy stuff for upper class watchers to revel in, but useful maneuvers, and which provide the horse an added sense of self-worth.