Stable Employment: Migrant Labourer Challenges in the Horse Racing Industry by Andrea Pietrzak

Itinerant labourers are an integral part of the North American horse racing industry.

Approximately 60 to 70% of North America’s backstretch workforce is composed of migrants from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras; however, less than 2% hold valid visas or work permits.

As a group, they face significant physical/medical health, social and legal concerns.

In the Stable Employment presentation, I will outline the multi-pronged impact that immigration pathways, gender and racism have on horse racing labourers.

Andrea Pietrzak is a PhD candidate in Religion and Culture with a background in horse racing journalism. Her research examined non-denominational Evangelical chaplaincy and pastoral care in the North American horse racing industry.