Trainer Vs Instructor? Pondering - what is the difference!

_April_

_April_

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What is the difference?

Is there one or do they mean the same thing?

I have weekly flat lessons from someone and we also have jumping lessons and she now takes us XC schooling - is this a trainer?
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I always say 'my instructor' as trainer feels like such a pretentious word for me to use seeing as I am not a serious competitor by any means (I used to feel silly posting in this part of HHO
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Maybe instructor is just an old school term and I need to get with the times more - I still use my flippy petal OR boots lol
 
i thought instructors have riding and teaching qualifications whilst trainers may not have official qualifications but have competition experience?????????
 
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I hate both words. Instructor conjures up pony club images, Trainer sounds pretentious. I'm not very helpful am I?!
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I think the same!

Sometimes if I say I'm having a lesson to non horsey people and they say 'why are you still having lessons?!' I say it's more like training
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However I compete locally once a month so I am not a serious competitor, it's not like I'm riding for my country or anything
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and Instructor sounds like quick an old term.

i have no idea
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clearly
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It used to be that instructors taught whilst trainers helped to develop, ie they were less instructional, used more of a two-way process in helping the rider progress and as such were seen as something that decent, high-level riders had because obviously a two-way process requires the rider to have a vague clue of what they're doing
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As KatB said, 'trainer' now sounds so pretentious because it is used when people deem themselves to be at a certain level, regardless of where they actually are - some people seem to think that having an 'instructor' makes them less of a rider
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You've got to have a trainer nowadays, preferably one who uses a two-way headpiece oojamaflip
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I think 'coach' is a good term
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i thought instructors have riding and teaching qualifications whilst trainers may not have official qualifications but have competition experience?????????

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This is what I thought too! But then a BE accredited training has qualifications
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Sometimes if I say I'm having a lesson to non horsey people and they say 'why are you still having lessons?!' I say it's more like training
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I had this exact conversation with a non-horsey collegue the other day!!
 
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Sometimes if I say I'm having a lesson to non horsey people and they say 'why are you still having lessons?!' I say it's more like training
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I had this exact conversation with a non-horsey collegue the other day!!

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My brother has been playing rugby for 10 years and still goes to training....it's not a lot different! I swear everytime I say I'm having a lesson to a non horsey person they are like 'can't you ride by now?' Erm no
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QR - Agree with Dizzyf and Megan2006, my own personal explaination when asked is that an instructor teaches you to ride, a trainer refines what you do and guides. I do 'teach' people on the side, they can already ride but I cast my eye over what they do and suggests ways that they can do things differently to get their horse to go better. I have my Sidesaddle Instructor cert but no formal quals other than that. I use my lessons to give me a kick up the bum to ride properly and when I have a problem that I cannot resolve on my own. I call my lessons, training sessions as that is what they are, but I can see how some may see it as pretentious. I too have had the conversation with non horsey people asking why I still have lessons so I guess this is why I refer to it as training.
 
Do you know this is the second time I've typed this I think I forgot to submit because I can't find it on here. So to me an instructor is someone who teaches me. A trainer is someone who teaches the horse ie: Dressage, SJing, Racing etc.,
 
I always thought I had an instructor (weekly lessons or more often if I am feeling rich!) until she referred to herself as my trainer
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She is being fantastic though, helping me with my psychological issues as well as teaching me how to improve my riding and Bob's way of going?

TBH I have never known what the difference is, so maybe the psychological stuff is what makes her a trainer
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I've never understood why it's a group lesson until you travel somewhere to a 'big name trainer' at which point it becomes a 'clinic'!

Surely a clinic is a situation in which a specific problem, which all the people attending have a variant of, is solved?

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I always say "my trainer", does that mean I sound really pretentious? Oh dear. Maybe it's a respect thing in my case, 'trainer' sounds more... weighty. He's much older than me, I've been trained by him for years, maybe that's why I use the word 'trainer'.
Anyway, he isn't really instructing me in how to ride, he's helping me to train the horses correctly, that's how I look at it, so that's why I use that word.
Someone who teaches at a riding school or college etc I would call an 'instructor."
 
Kerilli - looking at the size of the jumps in your pics and the level you compete at I would say yes you have a TRAINER
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It just feels funny for me to say it for my 2'9 -3'3 aspirations LOL

I have a trainstructor anyway
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I don't think it matters, whatever you say, trainer, instructor, coach, it will be wrong or right. No one can even agree on the definitions so what hope have we of using the correct term?
 
I always say instructor, my bf refered to it as trainer the other day and it seamed weird!
Although by some of your definitions she is a trainer as she just slightly chages the things I do and helps my motivation but mostly works on my horses way of going.
I have no clue of definitions.... im might delve into the dictionary!!
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I have 'someone I go to for lessons'. I don't call her my instructor or trainer. Does that help? or am I just trying so hard not to be pretentious that I've gone full circle?
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Ha I love this post!!
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I had exactly the same conversation the other day!!

Everyone has a 'trainer' nowadays, I feel so behind the times!!
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But then again I would feel a bit embarassed saying the word as im only doing little stuff!!!
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I think it depends on the size of the ego!!
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Having said very definitely that I have neither, just 'a lady who gives me lessons' I have just looked at her biog on her Badminton entry where she describes her occupation as 'full time trainer'. Oooops, maybe I do have a trainer after all
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I must be super posh then as I have a trainer for dressage, a coach for sj, & more recently & even posher my friend who sadly has had to withdraw from Badminton this year has been helping me xc, what should I call him then??
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I must be super posh then as I have a trainer for dressage, a coach for sj, & more recently & even posher my friend who sadly has had to withdraw from Badminton this year has been helping me xc, what should I call him then??
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He could be your "guru"
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i have trainers! ahhhh, i'm pretentious!
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i think its more in deference to them tho- i think 'trainer' sounds like they are of a better standard than an 'instructor' which conjures up images of riding schools....
 
i have a few instructors, but one who i would say is more of a trainer in my mind as she's been with me from the beginning and takes a really active part in my horses progression - but as im only a riding clubber i feel far too pretentious saying i have a trainer, dahhhling!
 
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