There are people who will work cheap if they can ride a horse, work cattle, and drag a gooseneck trailer around. The smell of cows, horses, mud, and diesel must be addictive.
True. There are a few cowboys around here that seem to keep sticking it out, but are prone to move on to a different ranch every few years. Being single seems to be best for the trade.
Some of the bigger farmers in these parts are starting to turn non-family employment into a partially compensated job though. My buddy is a diesel mechanic and he quit his diesel shop job to go to work for a farmer/rancher. He loved it for about 5 years. In the end though, having 4 kids and a stay at home wife he couldn't swing the insurance, retirement, etc and went back to work in a diesel shop.
