| Horse racing is one of the most colorful and | | | | However, using multifarious racing colors as seen |
| magnificent equestrian sports enjoyed by millions | | | | today, may have originated in the streets of Italy. |
| of spectators all over the world. The sight of | | | | It is quite a possibility that traditional racing events |
| thundering hooves and all those vibrant horse | | | | held in Italian city communities during the medieval |
| racing silks will surely make your adrenaline rush. | | | | times may have paved the way for the |
| Earlier, there were neither announcers nor replays | | | | popularity of racing silks. |
| in slow motion or any other way to identify the | | | | During the 1700s' when horse racing gained |
| horses during the race. So horse racers adopted | | | | popularity again and it became difficult to identify |
| the idea of adorning horse racing dresses in bright | | | | and judge the racing horses, the English Jockey |
| colors along with matching accessories for their | | | | Club reinforced the use of racing silks. |
| horses. | | | | In fact, the Jockey Club made it mandatory for |
| Way back then, the colors represented the social | | | | the owners to submit their racing silks, if they |
| status of the riders. Over the time, horse owners | | | | wanted their horses to participate. In the |
| and breeders promoted the use of their own | | | | beginning, silks were simply silk jackets in different |
| colors for the uniforms, which came to be known | | | | colors. |
| as horse racing silks. | | | | Today, these colorful racing silk are very much a |
| The custom of using horse racing silks in horse | | | | part of any horse race and add to the grandeur |
| races can be traced back to the chariot races | | | | of the pageantry. Though previously, racing silk |
| from the Roman times. Chariot drivers used | | | | were always made of silk, nowadays synthetics |
| capes in distinct colors in order to identify | | | | are also used. |
| themselves. Since then the tradition has prevailed. | | | | The silks refer to the silk shirts and the silk |
| In the medieval times, it was not uncommon to | | | | covers that the riders use in the race. The |
| find horsemen indulging in the practice of wearing | | | | multicolored silks are a crucial aspect of horse |
| colors when knights got involved in jousts. | | | | racing and symbolize loyalty and festivity. |