The history of Hollywood is littered with stars telling producers and directors they can ride a horse. Mark Ruffalo famously told a story about lying to Ang Lee about his horseback riding skills, leading to the horse fleeing set with him holding on for dear life. Taylor Sheridan’s shows avoid this narrative entirely by sending his casts to Cowboy Camp. For the cast of Hallmark+’s upcoming new series Hope Valley: 1874, horse riding was very much going to be a part of the narrative. Turns out, there were some very optimistic stars amongst the cast of the When Calls The Heart spinoff.
In fact, when I spoke with 1874’s lead Benjamin Ayres, he admitted he may have skirted around the saddle a bit when it came to his horse-riding abilities. Sticking to his spurs landed him the gig, but when it came to showing up on the Langley, BC set, he did find out two truths: 1. Riding on a horse under normal circumstances can be OK for novices but 2. Riding a horse in “torrential downpour” is a different beast altogether.
Every actor will tell you, especially on their resume, when they say, ‘Can you ride a horse?’ You’re like, ‘Of course I can ride a horse.’ Search quickly: ‘How fast can I learn to ride a horse?’ It’s easy when they come and they just take you for a little walk around and you’re like, ‘Oh he’s pretty good on a horse.’ But when it is torrential downpour and you’re on your horse and you’re resetting, resetting, resetting, and it’s muddy and he starts kind of bucking you.
When I spoke with the cast, including Ayres and fellow lead Bethany Joy Lenz, it was a grey day. There was mud, there was light drizzling, and while everyone was in good spirits, it was also very clear the elements had a huge impact on the look and feel of Hope Valley: 1874. For the lead star though, this led to some intense moments on set. He’s still getting used to being on the horses 24/7:
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I get more nervous, they get nervous, because they’re like, ‘Why are you nervous?’ They just feel your energy. If he starts moving a little too fast, out of fear you squeeze your legs, which tells them to move faster. And you’re pulling. I’m thinking all these things, Christopher Reeves, you could get knocked off this horse. So there’s a lot going on, and on top of it you’re like, ‘I’m just a cool cowboy.’ It is an element I had not thought of. I probably didn’t imagine being on the horse as often as we are. Every second day. For sometimes hours [I’m on]. There’s something about being on a horse that much. It’s 90% of the time, totally great, it’s super easy and awesome, and then 10% of the time, it’s a little panicky.
If Hope Valley: 1874 makes it as long as its sister series has, by the end of the show, riding horses should be old hat for Mr. Ayres. Right now though, he’s really, really acting. The good news? Hope Valley: 1874’s crew also doubles as the crew for the network’s long-running show When Calls The Heart, so there are plenty of people on set who are quite comfortable with the horses. And the horses themselves have been doing this for a while.
I asked a few others, Lachlan Quarmby about riding, and he told me his horse is so much more seasoned than him, and joked he’s honestly jealous of “his IMDB credits.” Only one cast member was super comfortable with the horses when she came in: Bethany Joy Lenz.
Turns Out, Bethany Joy Lenz Is A Pro At Riding Horses
I spoke with Ms. Lenz later in the day during my time on the Hope Valley: 1874 set, which means at that point I’d spoken to several resourceful cast members who’d mentioned they’d learned how to ride a horse for the new WCTH spinoff. In contrast, Ms. Lenz has been around horses most of her life, and when I told her the other cast members had less experience, she told a funny story about how she had tried to tell the creative team she knew how to ride.
Oh yeah, I’ve owned horses and I’ve been riding since I was 18. It was really funny, when I came in, they were like, ‘We have to make sure you can ride a horse. I gotta drive you out to Langley [BC] to put you on a horse.’ I was like, ‘What do you mean? Yes! Of course I know how to ride.’ But apparently every actor tells them that they know how to ride, and no one does! So I had to prove it. But I think I did OK.
Hope Valley: 1874 hits the 2026 TV schedule this weekend, with the first episode hitting for those with a Hallmark+ subscription on Saturday, March 21st and subsequent episodes hitting on Thursdays. Stop horsing around, and tune in.
