OKEECHOBEE -- Australian horseman Mark Langley will be coming to Okeechobee  as part of his 2024 USA Horsemanship Tour. The Okeechobee visit will be June 28-30, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Clinic spots are full, but "fence sitters" are welcome to watch for a  cash fee of $30 per day. The clinic will be held at 27328 NW 256th St, Okeechobee.

In appearance, this friendly, tall Australian dressed in jeans and an Akubra hat looks just like most horse-handy-Aussie’s – but Langley is not your average horse trainer.

He is starting to make waves in the horsemanship world, challenging the traditional way that people commonly train horses and instead offering an Emotional Capacity Building education that resonates with human psychology approaches. In laymen’s terms, Langley is helping horse to learn -- freeing them of anxieties, flight responses, and shutting out  -- and opening them up to take in information. He describes it as “keeping horses in the green learning zone."  He is on Tour in the States for June and July.

His novel methods are helping to change how horses are, improving bad behaviours and problem traits as well as forging deeper understanding and connections with their owners.

“I see people trying to do the right thing -- but at the wrong time, or with the wrong horse. This is not the end of the world, but it can lead to treading water as opposed to progressing.
What’s more dangerous in training is doing the wrong thing and not being aware of it, as this causes a lot of the deep trouble and negative coping mechanisms that I am always trying to fix.”

 “The challenge on the first teaching day is to identify each horse’s mindset and figure out what each one needs the most to make life and learning easy for them. This is always a great day because I usually going into the psychology of each horse -- or mule -- to shed light on how they may have got into a negative mindset and how to put them into a positive mindset. Some come already in the green zone -- a nice, learning, aware, mindset -- and just need clear guidance and education.”

His has a large following and is fully booked for clinics. People from all disciplines enjoy learning from him because his horsemanship improves fundamentals that are relevant to everyone. “I help horses to have desire, awareness and perpetual motion. These are all things that help horses to move and respond softly.”

Langley has been training horses since childhood, saving his dad the job of riding a unknown horse from the sale by doing it for him. He has a vast experience training wild and highly nervous horses.

He realises that horses have taught him a lot. “Softness and clarity are a mindset in horses. I’ve realised I’ve become a mindset coach. Not just a person/ horse trainer.”

Teaching at Okeechobee will take place over 3 days and will include an evening demonstration on Saturday, June 29.  There is a $20 cash fee for those who wish to watch the evening demonstration.