You come into the pen thinking I’m scared.
You see the whites of my eyes, the way I shift my weight, the flick of my ear—and you *decide* I’m afraid.
So you tighten. You prep for a bolt, a spook, a fight.
You shorten the lead rope. You square your shoulders.
You think *“here we go…”*
Now I’m watching *you*.
I see your bracing, your clenched jaw, the way you hold your breath.
So I match you.
Not because I’m scared. But because *you are*.
We think we see the world as it is.
But we see the world as we are.
And you? You brought fear into this round pen before I ever did.
If you see me as a problem, you’ll treat me like one.
If you think I’m stubborn, you’ll brace.
If you expect a fight, I’ll give you one.
But what if I wasn’t any of those things until *you* expected me to be?
You want to change what you get from me?
Change what you *see* in me.
See me differently → think differently → do differently → get differently.
Leadership starts long before the first step.
It starts in your eyes. Your breath. Your belief.
Because if you carry venom, I will too.
If you carry peace—I just might meet you there.
Leadership Principle:
Respect begins with perception. If you want different behavior—from horses or humans—you have to change the lens you’re looking through. Start with how you see. That’s where transformation begins.