Race Horse and Jockey

A race horse's rider is called a jockey. Both men and women can be jockeys and they race against one another as equals. They wear a colorful shirt and helmet cover, called silks. Racing silks represent the horse's owner, and make it easy for race fans to tell the horses and jockeys apart during the race. Before a race begins, the horses and jockeys are lined up in starting gates, which have doors that will automatically open when the starting bell rings. Races are run in different lengths, ranging from short 440 yard sprints, to 2.5 miles! When most people think of racehorses, they think of Thoroughbreds. However, other breeds like Standardbreds, Quarter Horses and Appaloosas are used for horse racing, too!.