CHECK OUT THIS INTERVIEW I DID FOR EQUINE WELLNESS MAGAZINE

Amy is played by 22-year-old Amber Marshall, a native of London, Ontario. We were able to catch up with Amber in between filming series.

EWM: When did you first recognize your passion for horses? Was there a particular experience that drew you to them?

AM: When I was four years old, my family took me to a local fair where there was a pony roundabout. I

was simply fascinated with the horses so my parents arranged for me to go out on weekends and ride that same pony. Sadly, not long after I started leasing him, his owners were forced to sell the farm. It wasn’t until my tenth birthday that I started riding again. I began taking English lessons and purchased my first horse, Monty, when I was 13 years old.

EWM: Tell us about the horses you have now.

AM: Pepsi has been with us since he was a weanling, which brings it close to five years. My mom found him online, and decided she wanted her own project, since I had my AQHA Palomino mare, Laney, at the time. When I got the role of Amy on Heartland, I moved to Calgary to be close to the set. I sold Laney to a girl I knew growing up because I was just too far away to give her the attention she needed. Pepsi stayed in Ontario, where my mom looked after him until he was green-broke and ready to head west! He now lives with me and my two other horses: Tango, a seven-year-old black Quarter Horse, and Cash, my baby buckskin.

EWM: Were you always interested in a more natural approach to horse care and training, or has the show been influential in that regard? Did you have to research any particular trainers, methods or equine therapies to help you portray Amy?

AM: I have always been interested in learning a variety of different training methods. I feel everyone has different energy they put out to animals, and certain ways of animal communication will work differently depending on the person. I practiced a lot of natural horsemanship on my Palomino mare, and found it very effective. I think for me, it is getting to know the horses individually, since like people, every horse is different. Once you gain their trust and respect, they are much happier to work with you as a team......

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