COME DANCING, ON HORSEBACK

THE rhythmic tap, tap, tap on wood resonates around the darkened arena. One strong spotlight picks out the solo Spanish performer going through his paces, then two, three, four more join in to create a cacophony of sound.

But this is no Iberian rival to Riverdance. The Andalusian "dancers" belong to an equine troupe and their tap show, or piaffe, on wooden boards is just one of the highlights of the Royal Horse Gala, which comes to the RDS next month.

To music ranging from Pavarotti to the Pet Shop Boys, 36 horses from four of the world's most famous breeds combine in a two hour show of dressage, pageantry and formation riding which premiered in Britain earlier this year.

Perhaps the most famous of the four breeds are the white Lipizzaners, in this case from Lipica in Slovenia, who perform feats of agility and obedience to perfection. They are joined by the palomino Lusitano horses from Portugal, the big black Pomeranian (or Friesen) horses from the Netherlands and the Andalusians.

Dressage, which can be traced back to the 14th century, evolved from the military riding style. And to the uninitiated, the grace of horse and rider moving as one must seem effortless. But you try taking a four legged student as your Come Dancing partner, and you'll soon realise the years of training that go into the circling couples. Under that tranquil appearance of the straight backed riders in coat tailed jackets and white jodphurs on their gleaming steeds, there's a frenzy of muscled communication. But these horses don't need a rider aboard to strut their stuff. There are also demonstrations of work on a long rein with handlers on foot coaxing astonishing movements out of them.

With pulsating music and spectacular lighting enhancing the equestrian drama, it's appropriate that music promoter Jim Aiken is responsible for bringing the slick two hour show to Dublin. For anyone besotted with horses, this is a celebration of the romance of horses with a capital "R".

Andalusians canter in bearing senoritas in flamenco flounces sitting sideways behind their men, and mounted senors demonstrate the skills they would use in the bull ring.

Bull fighting is just one of the disciplines Lusitanos excel at. One rider, only pausing briefly to swap hats, switches from classical dressage, to jousting, to bull fighting, to show jumping within a few minutes.

A bit like motor racing, it takes something to go wrong to heighten appreciation of the skills involved. At one of the Wembley performances, when a petulant Pomenarian refuses to take part in one of the circus acts, and sit as commanded, it is a reminder of that old adage: You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink ...