Horse trainer vs obedience trainer

The differences between horse trainers and obedience trainers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a horse trainer and an obedience trainer. Additionally, an obedience trainer has an average salary of $39,756, which is higher than the $33,943 average annual salary of a horse trainer.

The top three skills for a horse trainer include lesson program, pleasure and training programs. The most important skills for an obedience trainer are PET, private lessons, and behavior problems.

Horse trainer vs obedience trainer overview

	Horse Trainer	Obedience Trainer
Yearly salary	$33,943	$39,756
Hourly rate	$16.32	$19.11
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	20,881	20,857
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Horse trainer vs obedience trainer salary

Horse trainers and obedience trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Horse Trainer	Obedience Trainer
Average salary	$33,943	$39,756
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $57,000	Between $21,000 And $75,000
Highest paying City	Elmont, NY	-
Highest paying state	New York	-
Best paying company	HP	-
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between horse trainer and obedience trainer education

There are a few differences between a horse trainer and an obedience trainer in terms of educational background:

	Horse Trainer	Obedience Trainer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Education
Most common college	-	-

Horse trainer vs obedience trainer demographics

Here are the differences between horse trainers' and obedience trainers' demographics:

	Horse Trainer	Obedience Trainer
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0%	Male, 31.9% Female, 68.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 7.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 1.7% White, 72.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 7.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 1.7% White, 72.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between horse trainer and obedience trainer duties and responsibilities

Horse trainer example responsibilities.

Ensure that USDA and AZA guidelines are met.
Acquire knowledge in animal husbandry, natural history, and animal conditioning principles through reading materials and participating in training sessions.
Assure proper annotation of administrative MWD utilization and training records used for legal reviews.

Obedience trainer example responsibilities.

Accept shipments and manage using AS400 system.
Acquire knowledge in animal husbandry, natural history, and animal conditioning principles through reading materials and participating in training sessions.
Assure proper annotation of administrative MWD utilization and training records used for legal reviews.

Horse trainer vs obedience trainer skills

Common horse trainer skills

Lesson Program, 24%
Pleasure, 14%
Training Programs, 9%
General Care, 8%
Training Methods, 7%
Horse Care, 6%

Common obedience trainer skills

PET, 59%
Private Lessons, 22%
Behavior Problems, 19%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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