Instructions
Separate the camp horses from one other, as well as from other horses, for a few days before beginning the retraining. Many camp horses become quite herd-bound and reliant on other horses, and separating them forces them to focus on their human handlers instead of their equine companions.
Place a halter and lead rope on the horse and walk it to an enclosed area like a round pen, riding ring or corral. The former camp horse should walk beside you, with its shoulder roughly lined up with your own shoulder.
Move into the round pen, corral or other enclosed area and ask the horse to move in a circle around you. If you are in a round pen, remove the lead rope from the halter and use a lunge whip to guide the horse's movement, pointing in the direction you want the horse to move. If you are working in a larger area, remove the lead rope from the halter and attach a lunge line. Ask the horse to move out on the lunge line by pointing the whip in the direction you want it to move.
Saddle the horse and ride it around the arena, round pen or other enclosed area. Working in a small space helps the horse focus on you as the rider, without the distractions of the trail, open field or other horses.
Kick the horse lightly to ask for a faster movement. Camp horses tend to become quite dull-sided over time as they deal with beginning riders who constantly kick to get them to move faster. You may need to squeeze harder than you would on a more sensitive horse, and you may even need to use spurs for a while to reinforce your cues and get the horse to respond.
Ride the camp horse as much as you can to continue the retraining. Work at all four gaits (walk, trot, cantor and gallop), and alternate directions often while working in the arena. Camp horses are accustomed to moving at a walk and going down the trail. Working in the arena helps the horse learn new things and respond readily to the rider.
How to Retrain a Camp Horse
When the warm days of summer give way to the cold nights of winter, many camps sell off their strings of horses. These former camp horses can be excellent values and are generally safe for just about anyone to ride. Camp horses do, however, often require some retraining to make them suitable mounts for more experienced riders, who may want to do more than walk down the trail following other horses.