There's a video of the dressage horse of Carl Hester returning to his field with his mate and going in, rolling on one side, getting up, executing a foot perfect pirouette, and rolling on the other side before doing a lovely elevated trot down the paddock. Only thing on that horse was a fly rug.
If you watched the start box in the X country, many of the horses were bouncing around and 'dancing' on the spot and launched out the start box when the starter said 'Go!' - the rider wasn't making them do that, that was the horse keen to go out and get cracking, mine used to be very similar.
If you watched the vet inspection, some of them bounced and threw themselves around through the excitement, and did some of the moves that appear in dressage (and some that definitely don't!) When they're meant to be trotting in a straight line, so the person handling the horse is actually trying to not get that response.
It's a similar thing to when a dog gets excited for a walk, only this is a half ton dog with metal feet.
The real issue here is the stereotype that's so entrenched in society about horses only being for the elite, as with most sports, what it costs to get to the top is beyond the reach of some, but on a general level, the BHS and other organisations have done some really good things to open up horse riding and care to everyone. I benefited from such a scheme because my parents had no money, and got my first horse at 30 after years of riding other people's in return for looking after them. I worked in the stables in return for lessons as a kid.
Ultimately though, it doesn't matter how much equestrian pursuits are opened up or how many of us show we're not from well heeled backgrounds - people are welded to their own stereotype and won't listen because no one likes to be wrong do they?
I find it quite funny that on the one hand, as a min wage care worker I'm the lowest of the low, yet sit me on a horse and suddenly I'm a well heeled, posh twat because I know what to do.......