Veteran Arabian horse trainer Jill Girardi Thomas is no stranger to the challenges connected with finding and retaining good barn operations staff. "It’s an industry where the work is hard, the entry level pay is low–between $8 and $12 an hour–and the days are long," says Girardi Thomas, who is based in Franklin, Tenn. "And if you can find people who are reliable and loyal, you’re very lucky."

Like many in the horse industry, Girardi Thomas draws her workforce from the local Hispanic community. She networks with local churches and other groups for referrals, and she sometimes connects with new hires who have been referred to her by staff at other barns.

According to attorney Charles Baesler Jr., an immigration law specialist in the law firm of Stoll, Keenon, Ogden, PLLC, in Lexington, Ky., immigrant workers from Mexico, Central America, and elsewhere are playing pivotal roles in the equine industry simply because American workforce demographics are changing.

"More Americans are going to college, so the labor pool of Americans in need of low-wage jobs is shrinking," Baesler says