She wasn't sure she would hear the answer she wanted.

Noel Fauntleroy knew how emotionally attached her mom was to her horse, Walter. But four years ago, she sought consent from her mother, Betsy, and rode Walter for the first time.

"She rode him so beautifully," Betsy Fauntleroy said, laughing. "And there was no way to stop it."

Ever since, 13-year-old Noel has been riding Walter, whose show name is "Heartsong." The two will compete at the junior hunter level at the 54th Deep Run Horse Show, which runs today through Sunday at Deep Run Hunt Club in Manakin-Sabot.

The Fauntleroy family will be there. Rob, 16, will work with the jump crew, Eliza, 7, will practice with Betsy and Bob Fauntleroy, Betsy's husband, will watch.

The Fauntleroys' horses, including 14-year-old Walter, have lived long lives thanks to how the family cares for them. Unlike the horse racing industry, the Fauntleroys' practices in horse riding represent a reminder that well-treated horses may be able to escape dying young. Barbaro, the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner, shattered his legs two weeks following the Derby. Eight Belles, a 2008 Derby contender, was euthanized shortly after collapsing.

"Horse racing is all business," said Dan Robertshaw, who has teamed with Ron Danta to help train Betsy Fauntleroy's horses for 20 years. "We feel it's our responsibility to teach them the responsibility of truly caring for animals and truly loving them."

The Fauntleroys demonstrate that affection by ensuring their horses' protection and comfort.

Rosie, a pony, wore a fly mask on her face and a protective sheet around her chest and loin when she was eating grass on the Fauntleroy's 50-acre farm in Manakin-Sabot on Monday. The mask and sheet help prevent insect bites.

The Fauntleroys' horses occasionally wear magnetic blankets to stimulate blood flow and relax muscles. Sometimes they stand on magnetic pads if their hooves are sore.

Betsy Fauntleroy knows her horses well, describing the personality of each on the spot. That made it easier for her to grant her daughter's request to ride Walter four years ago. Betsy thought Walter's trustworthiness, patience and maturity would help calm Noel's nerves. She never had ridden a horse and had competed only at the children hunters level, which consisted of 3-foot jumps.

Riding Walter forced Noel to move up to the junior hunter level, which involves jumping over a 3½-foot bar.

"It was nerve-wracking," Noel Fauntleroy said. "After the first jump, I felt a lot better. I trust him a lot."

There seems to be a lot of trust between rider and horse with the Fauntleroys, who have passed down their love for horses from one generation to the next.

"It's kind of a way of life for us," Betsy Fauntleroy said. "It's what we do."
Contact Mark Medina at (804) 649-6839 or mmedina@timesdispatch.com.