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UAFHNE HUTCHINSON
R{PI>«)unw>cli New. Staff Writer
If home is where the heart is, then Alson Atkin’s Sperryville home isn’t the white frame house on the banks of the Thornton River. If home is where the heart is, Alson belongs next door at Rainbow Trails Stable with his IS horses.
Rainbow Trails doesn’t cater to hotdogs on horse* back or urban cowboys out for a fast gallop. Alson’s string of gentle, well-trained mounts are almost members of the family, loved far too much to trust to the hands of strange city slickers without proper supervision.
When his horses leave the barn, either Alson or his assistant Esther Schmidt leave with them, eyes and ears open to any hint of equine abuse.
“I care for my horses. I don’t want anybody mistreating them or getting into a horse race and hurting themselves,*’ Alson explained.
Many a greenhorn has taken to the saddle for the first time at Rainbow Trails, following Esther or Alson through the meadows and forests of the Blue Ridge foothills. Most come back a second, third and fourth time, turning into steady customers, each with a favorite mount.
“It’s a family thing. Kids learn to ride here. They grow up, get married and then come back with their wives and kids,” Esther said. One set of regulars recently ended their marriage but the relationship with Rainbow Trails survived the divorce. They’ve remarried now and come regularly with their new spouses. “We only hope they don’t all show up at the same time one day!” Esther added.
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