FEATURE
John Lyons: Faith of a Horseman
By Shannon Woodland
The 700 Club
CBN.com
– John Lyons has been called America’s most trusted horseman, and over the last 25 years, he’s trained thousands of horses, some of the most expensive in the world. But as much as he loves his horses, John has learned that owning and training them starts with understanding who’s in charge. It’s a bit of wisdom he shares this with people who attend his horse training clinics.
“I recognize at some point in time I’d have to stand in front of God and tell Him why I did these things to His horses.”
John was a young man when he realized his priorities needed to be realigned. He was trying to get a horse ready for a performance, listening to many people who had many opinions. But the horse wasn’t responding well to any of this training. John took his frustration out on the animal, working the horse harder than needed. At the end of the day, John knew something needed to change.
“That was the day that made the biggest change in my life. I stopped listening to people about what was okay and what was not okay to do to a horse. Certainly I’ve made gazillion mistakes since then.”
John has implemented that philosophy not only in his personal life but in the family business as well. That includes his wife Jody. She says, “Christ is a part of every piece of everything we do.”
The Lyonses’ business takes them on the road 45 weeks of the year. Their demonstration horses, Preacher and Charlie, travel thousands of miles to clinics and expositions that draw many who are fans of John’s method of training horses. John sees it differently. “God gave me a good foundation with the horse so that I could share Him with others. He didn’t give me a good foundation with the horse so that I could be a good horseman.”
What John has learned over the years he’s shared with his sons Josh and Mike.
“I don’t want my kids to be horse trainers or not horse trainers. What I want them to do the most is to enjoy those days and recognize those days are numbered and to enjoy their life and have that peace that God offers us.”
As the sun sets behind the Mesas near the Lyonses’ home in Parachute, Colorado, John and his family reflect on the day and think about what tomorrow might bring – another day.
“The horses are here and gone. All the kings have gone. The castles have fallen. So what lasts is our relationship with God.”
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