Amy is a 15-year-old girl growing up in Hudson, Alberta with a serious love of horses. She discovers that a horse named Spartan is being abused at Mallen's farm and convinces her mother, Marion, to rescue him. A storm on the way home sends their truck and trailer off the road and onto a steep hill, crashing into a tree. When Amy wakes up, she's in the hospital and discovers that her mother died in the accident. Amy's sister Lou comes home from New York City to help. Refusing to put Spartan down, Grandpa Jack brings the horse back to Heartland hoping that Amy can help him. Before Amy can help Spartan, she has to come to terms with what happened to her mom. The new ranch hand, Ty, starts working and he was hired by Marion before she died.
Lou accidentally sends home Mrs. Roach's horse despite the fact that her horse's fear of vehicles has yet to be cured, after misinterpreting Amy's description of the horse as "fine." Val Stanton begins spreading rumors about Heartland and their inability to be successful without Marion. Ty's probation officer comes to the ranch while he is off showing Amy the jumping course he made for her in the woods. Jack agrees to be Ty's sponsor in place of Marion.
Heartland has its first "Open House," and Lou invites her and Amy's estranged dad Tim, who accepts the invitation. Amy works with world-famous horse breeder Lisa Stillman's horse, Promise, who seems unusually aggressive when saddled. Val Stanton challenges Amy, saying that the horse is drugged to appear calmer. Amy proves her skills by fixing the problem that Val's expensive horse is having with jumping. Jack kicks Tim off of the property when he discovers him in the barn. Pegasus is depressed because of Marion's death.
When Amy and Lou empty their mother's room, they find a letter dated seven years previous, from their father. Ben Stillman is sent to live at Heartland by his aunt, Lisa, while she's in France. No one likes Ben, as he uses methods like whipping his horse, Red, to show him "who's boss", and he doesn't participate in ranch duties. Ty is especially angry, challenging Amy to prove that Heartland is different than the other stables (like Briar Ridge) that tolerate this treatment of horses. Amy gets knocked off her horse while trying to take Ben's horse across the river on a trail ride and sustains a minor head injury. Ty is offered a job at Briar Ridge even after Amy accidentally tells Ashley that Ty is on probation. When Amy hears that Ty might take the job, she snaps at him. Ty is eventually fired when Val discovers he has a record.
Lou's New York boyfriend Carl comes for a visit, but his big city attitudes clash with the ranch's more laid-back lifestyle. Lou discovers that she has been fired from her job in New York. Carl proposes to Lou, but she discovers he has been trying to force her to move with him to Chicago. Amy is puzzled why a new horse at Heartland called Pirate won't obey commands. Scott unearths the horse's unusual past.
Heartland takes in a pregnant mare named Melody. Ty secretly asks Mallory for riding lessons to impress Amy. Ben competes in a horse show and refuses to talk to his aunt Lisa. Meanwhile, Jack and Ty go on a cattle round-up, and Tim is introduced as the trail boss. Jack and Tim fight each other that night, and Ty learns that Tim is Lou and Amy's father, and Jack's ex-son-in-law. Lisa shows up to talk to Ben, and Jack invites her to stay for pancakes.
Amy tries to help a champion stallion and his depressed trainer, who were injured in a stable fire. In the process, she confronts her own unresolved feelings about her mother's accident. She is also able to clear the name of the trainer, who had been blamed for the stable fire and consequently lost his job. Meanwhile, Jack grows increasingly attracted to Lisa. She asks Jack to come look at a horse with her, and he agrees, but insists on driving his truck to the sale. Jack declares that it's not a date but it turns into one, especially as they share a picnic lunch when Jack's truck breaks down. Jack and Lisa enjoy themselves, until Dan Hartfield shows up at the sale and introduces himself as Lisa's husband. Jack leaves her behind, feeling foolish, until Lisa shows up later at Heartland, and explains that Dan is actually her ex-husband.
After elderly Mrs. Bell has a heart attack, Amy takes in her Shetland pony Sugarfoot, to whom Lou grows surprisingly attached. Lou reminisces about learning to ride on Sugarfoot when she was young, and singing to him with Mrs. Bell. Ty's old girlfriend, Kerry Anne, from his past group home shows up looking for him, having taken a job in the kitchens at Briar Ridge. She manages to cause her fair share of trouble in the process, ripping off Soraya and stealing from Ashley, as well as creating friction with the Heartland family. Amy initially feels threatened by her, but Ty sends Kerry Anne on her way to BC, knowing that she is bad news.
In the hopes of impressing Ashley, Caleb takes lessons in bulldogging from former rodeo champion Tim, who stubbornly refuses to acknowledge that he may no longer have what it takes. Kit and Ty sort out their lingering break-up issues as Ty assists Scott with the delivery of Kit's mare's foal. Lou invites Peter to manage his business from the Heartland facilities while his office undergoes renovation, and lives to regret it.
Caleb struggles to get over the physical and emotional scars from his terrible accident as Amy tries to get him back on a horse. And Tim doles out some tough love as he recognizes that Caleb is headed down the same path of becoming an addict that he himself took after his own accident many years ago. Also Lisa and Jack consider announcing their engagement.
Lou comes back from Dubai to spend time with the family. Ty and Amy discover where her father's rustled cattle are being pastured and the whole family rides out to bring them back. Meanwhile Ashley's mother offers to give Ashley the lot that the trailer is on if she'll get Caleb to sign a marriage contract (pre-nup).
When an irate Grant, Ty's travel buddy shows up at Heartland to punch out Ty for "kissing Blair" the disclosure puts Ty and Amy's relationship in jeopardy. Meanwhile finding out that their marriage was not legal puts Caleb and Ashley into a turmoil. All the relationship drama makes Lou question her marriage with Peter.
Tim decides to enter his racehorse, Lightning Dexter, in claiming race despite Amy's objections. Amy and Ty's troubles are aggravated when Chase comes to town and offers to put in a bid on Dexter. Meanwhile Lou finds out that she's pregnant and though Peter comes home, he really needs to be in Dubai
Amy finds that she's over-committed when she promises to "de-sensitize" three horses for the local police. Deciding that she needs help she calls in Chase. Meanwhile Amy's returning the last of Ty's things throws him and when Jack discovers that Ty is skipping classes and not showing up to help Scott, Jack proposes a road trip.
Tim is having no luck tracking down Miranda and Shane since she dropped the bombshell that Shane is his son... until Shane – on his own – surprises everyone by just showing up at Heartland. And Mallory entertains the idea of going with the recently-single-again Jake to the Spring Fling. There is however – as you might expect with Mallory – a “but” attached.
Amy’s return from Europe is far from the homecoming she anticipated when she finds herself struggling to integrate back into life at Heartland and her relationship with Ty. Meanwhile, Jack and Lisa have been waiting to reveal their marriage to the family, but discover that finding the right moment to make the announcement is more difficult than expected. And Georgie unearths a secret that will cause her to lose faith in an idol.
After her initial shock at her grandfather’s announcement, Lou throws herself into party planning mode and forces Jack into an awkward reunion with an old acquaintance. Ty becomes the middleman when Amy and Caleb butt heads over horse training. And still reeling from her recent discovery, Georgie pulls away from Amy and focuses on donating money to an online animal sanctuary.
Amy’s attempts to reunite with Georgie are continually thwarted by the arrival of lavish gifts from afar. When Tim is captivated by an old acquaintance, he and Jack team up for a charity event. Meanwhile, Lou and Peter disagree about potential pre-schools and Lou takes Katie for an assessment. And an unexpected revelation forces Ty to question his career prospects.
A surprise visitor at Heartland makes an unwelcome declaration and Amy is forced to deal with the devastating consequences. Meanwhile, a dire animal crisis at the Reserve eerily parallels Ty’s personal life when he realizes that some things just can’t be saved. Still stinging from Katie’s pre-school rejection, Lou’s insistence that a specialist test her daughter brings an unexpected result. And Georgie realizes she needs her own trick riding horse in order to keep up with her nemesis Olivia..
Amy struggles to turn a pair of horses into a team, and is forced to go head-to-head with a rival trainer. Meanwhile, Ty discovers a dead bear on the Reserve with its gallbladder missing but when he begins asking too many questions, poachers threaten his life. When Ty asks Georgie to care for an orphan wolf pup, she sees it as an opportunity to reunite Amy and Ty. And Lou hires Jade to work at the Dude Ranch but quickly regrets her decision when the unpredictable teen proves to be a problem employee who takes advantage of the situation.
Amy struggles to help a Hutterite family whose team of Percherons ran amok hayride. But Georgie forms a strong bond with the young Hutterite daughter who turns out to be the key to unraveling the mystery. While Tim admittedly had a fantastic time traveling the rodeo circuit with Casey, he returns to Heartland and begins to second-guess their burgeoning relationship. Meanwhile, back at the clinic, a significant vet victory for Ty proves to be a bittersweet triumph when he realizes that all he wants to do – is share the experience with Amy. And Jack is forced to confront his traditional ideals when Lisa informs him that she has no intention of taking his name.
A school project opens a door to Georgie’s past that could ultimately change her life at Heartland. Meanwhile, Casey expresses interest in buying one of Ty and Caleb’s bulldogging horses and Caleb enlists Amy’s help to train it in order to secure the deal. Then, while celebrating their first big sale, Ty tells Caleb that he wants to officially pull out of their business partnership, which results in Caleb forging an unlikely alliance. And Tim is forced to come clean about his senior rodeo circuit dreams when he learns that Casey is buying a bulldogging horse for him. Featuring guest star Keegan Connor Tracy.
News of a cull sends Jack and Amy to Pike River to help out Will Vernon. Tim sees this as an opportunity to get Ty and Amy working together again, so he tricks Ty in coming with him. Lou and Peter's marriage becomes strained when Lou finds out Peter's flight home wasn't cancelled and he almost misses their family stay-cation.
Amy unexpectedly finds out that Peter declined a lucrative job offer that would've moved his work closer to home. Georgie, overwhelmed with all she has to do, asks her friend to help exercise Phoenix. Ty finds out Caleb partnered with Jesse Stanton, and Caleb is going around town kissing Jesse's girlfriend.
When Amy is invited to do a horse clinic in Montana, she and Ty decide to take a road trip together, but an unexpected encounter derails their plans. Meanwhile, back at Heartland, Jack and Lisa feel caught in the middle when Lou confronts Peter over his lie of omission, and his decision to choose his career in Vancouver over a job offer in Calgary which would give him a chance to spend more time with his family. And with both Ty and Scott out of town, Georgie and Jade volunteer at the vet clinic.
Tim opens a rodeo school, determined to help young people avoid injury while getting the training they need, but is immediately confronted with a problem student. Ty's and Amy's 'save the date' bounces from Wade and Lily. So Amy and Ty go to see Wade for some answers. Meanwhile, Georgie looks forward to the dance with Steven.
Amy and Ty help Scott’s nephew realize he is worthy of continuing his family tradition of relay racing. Meanwhile, Georgie is caught in the middle when her brother Jeff and her friend Jade exchange half-truths and outright lies in order to impress each other. And Tim initially refuses Jack's offer to help with the rodeo school, but is later forced to swallow his pride and accept what Jack can bring to the table
Lou returns from Vancouver with an admission that threatens to change the Heartland family forever. Meanwhile, Jack intervenes when he discovers that Tim intends to crash Miranda's wedding in Moose Jaw. Then, when Amy helps Caleb source a horse for Tim's rodeo school she learns just how precarious Caleb's business partnership is with Jesse. And Georgie fights disappointment when it looks like Peter won't make it home to take in the lunar eclipse with her, as promised.
The family strives to support a devastated Georgie when Lou and Peter are forced to tell her about their separation, and Amy helps Georgie find the strength and determination she needs to deal with the terrible news while training for an upcoming trick riding competition. Meanwhile, Ty jumps to Caleb's defense when Jesse calls in Caleb's loan, effectively ruining him.
Lou spearheads preparations for the big day while Amy throws herself into gentling a rescue horse in order to avoid all the craziness. But Amy and Ty's happy future is jeopardized when Ty is unexpectedly arrested for assault. Meanwhile, Georgie observes an intimate moment between Lou and Peter and nurtures hope that they are getting back together. And Tim risks telling Casey how he feels about her, and then obsesses over her response.
As Ty prepares to celebrate an important milestone, he works to treat an abandoned horse’s rain rot while Amy focuses on how to heal the animal’s emotional scars. Jack uses a supposed arthritic knee as an excuse to justify his unwillingness to ride. Lou and Georgie disagree about riding lessons for Katie, but share a genuine mother-daughter moment.
Amy and Ty work together to determine why Caleb’s horse becomes ill during his treatment at Heartland. Meanwhile, Georgie pits her parents against each other to get permission to go on an “away” trip with some girls from the Extreme Team. While Jack and Tim work together to bring the loft up to code as ordered by the insurance inspector, they discover unexpected interlopers.
Ty struggles with control issues when his mom stops by for an unexpected visit hoping to bond with her granddaughter, and Amy is forced to mediate. Meanwhile, Amy and Georgie work with a traumatized elite jumping horse by the name of Flame and Georgie, as a result, finds herself considering an amazing offer. Tim and Jack step in to help out when Ty makes a bad decision about a new truck.
The family bands together to support Georgie as she decides whether to face a ghost from her past. Amy is forced to be a tough coach as she tries to get Georgie to refocus on her training. Meanwhile, Tim tries to evict an unwanted guest from the Dude Ranch, and enlists some help from Mitch, and Jack can’t help but be suspicious when Lisa receives a gift from France.
Tim steps up Jade’s training regimen when a fierce new competitor shows her up at practice. Meanwhile, Georgie is faced with a difficult decision regarding what she wants to do about her equine skills. Amy and Ty struggle to maintain a social life now that they are parents, but things don’t quite go as planned. And Mitch tells Jack that he may not be cut out for the urban lifestyle he left Heartland for, which gets Jack thinking.
Amy and Ty work together to prepare a wild horse for overseas transport, but the horse’s temperament may be more than they bargained for. Meanwhile, with Georgie’s first show just around the corner, the return of an old friend proves to be a distraction, and not for reasons you might suspect. Jack and Lisa clash as they discuss the next step in their relationship.
When Lou returns to the ranch, she finds that things are not running as smoothly as she had imagined they would. Meanwhile, Tim is forced to do damage control when Caleb makes a small mistake at rodeo school. Georgie is faced with a difficult decision that may affect her future in show jumping. And as Jack and Lisa adjust to their new living situation, Amy struggles to take care of the baby by herself while Ty is away.
Amy has to get creative when asked to work with Lisa’s racehorse, but conflict arises when information about the horse’s breeding comes to light. Lou's relationship with Mitch suddenly is put into focus when her business expands, and decisions must be made. Georgie tries to figure out where she stands with Wyatt when he makes an unlikely new friend. Then, when lingering tension between Jack and Lisa comes to a head, their stubborn personalities could test their marriage.
When some old friends return to Hudson on vacation, Amy tries to teach them about the life-changing power of connecting to a horse, in order to help them cope with parenting struggles. Georgie gets invited on a road trip, but it might not be everything she hoped for, as she and Adam and Wyatt decide to drive to Torrington, Alberta. With Lou back in New York, Peter takes care of Katie, but worries when she doesn’t come home from a trail ride. And, Jack and Lisa receive an unexpected housewarming gift.
When Tim’s erratic behavior sparks concern from his loved ones, Jack suspects something else is going on. At the ranch, Amy agrees to work with an expensive jumper, owned by Paula, but the horse has its own ideas about what it wants to be. And when Ty gets an urgent phone call he looks to Amy for help on a horse they’re both familiar with. Then, a new arrival in Hudson puts extra strain on Georgie’s already complicated love life.
Amy tries to get everything organized at Heartland before joining Ty on a work-related journey, but Tim's concerns about the trip threaten to derail Amy's plans. Meanwhile, Ty runs into trouble on the job, but sending a message back home proves to be more difficult than anticipated. And, with a big competition coming up, Georgie struggles to master a difficult new jump with Mitch’s help, and Jack - the rock of the clan - tries to balance everyone’s needs.
Tim is forced to open up when an emergency traps him with an unexpected visitor, and he is forced to examine his feelings for Casey. Amy is hired to work with Oliver, a former racehorse in need of a new owner. Meanwhile, Georgie has trouble deciding who to trust when Wyatt shows up and warns her of a possible betrayal. And Jack steps way out of his comfort zone to support Lisa, but trouble arises when her ex-husband makes an appearance.
Struggling with personal issues, Tim rallies the family to go on another memorial ride for Marion so he can face his deepest regret. Meanwhile, Georgie is forced into making a very difficult decision when Val questions Amy’s ability to be her show jumping coach. Tim pushes Jade to accept a huge scholarship opportunity down in Texas, while Jack pushes Tim to finally be honest with Amy and Lou about his health issue. And Wyatt continues to cement his place in Georgie's good books.
As the family struggles to deal with Tim’s news, Lou throws herself into planning her high school reunion to impress an old rival. Meanwhile, Amy tries to stay focused as Georgie comes up against an unexpected challenge while beginning to train with Phoenix. And Jack fights to control his own emotions as Mitch pressures him to discuss the future of the cattle business with Tim.
A threat from Ty’s past arrives in Hudson, putting the entire Heartland family in danger. Meanwhile, in the wake of an unexpected romantic encounter, Lou struggles with insecurities about her failed relationships, and Georgie worries about Adam’s reaction when she tells him about her new status with Wyatt. And a worried Jack sticks close to Amy as they prepare for winter at the ranch.
As Thanksgiving approaches, Georgie puts her personal feelings about Peyton Westfield aside and convinces Amy to work with a high strung and dangerous jumping horse. Meanwhile, Jade returns from Texas for the holiday weekend and Tim is forced to admit why he was so adamant she accept the rodeo scholarship. Wyatt goes completely overboard trying to prove his affection for Georgie and it lands them in a comical but compromising situation. And when Lou can’t make it home for Thanksgiving, Jack and Lisa try to save tradition by coercing a secret family recipe out of her.
A training accident results in a serious injury and Georgie feels conflicted when an unlikely ally arrives at Heartland to show support. Meanwhile, Jack begins to consider his legacy and what he wants to leave to his family, but is interrupted when he and Mitch work to save a winter calf at risk of starvation. Jack is also caught in the middle when Lisa’s projects begin to take over the ranch house and she decides to make Amy’s room into an office.
Amy & Ty are of differing opinions about what to do with their new land. Meanwhile, in the aftermath of a vicious viral video, Georgie reconsiders her future in show jumping, and in Hudson. And a lucrative business opportunity puts Jack, Mitch and Tim at odds. Lou, back at Heartland, struggles with how to support her daughter through a difficult time.
In the days leading up to baby Lyndy’s naming ceremony, the members of the Heartland family find themselves keeping secrets from each other. Without Amy’s knowledge, Ty enlists Caleb’s help in fulfilling a long-held promise to himself. Amy works with Spartan in secret on something she hopes will make her daughter’s day truly memorable. And when Val approaches her with yet another offer, Georgie has to make an important decision as she prepares for the Fall Finale. Meanwhile, Jack comes to a startling realization and Tim gets news that he finds hard to share.
Amy and Ty face parenting problems, but healing a wild mare and her foal may help them find a solution. Meanwhile, Lou comes home with a big decision to make, but news about Mitch steals her focus. And Georgie struggles to overcome past fears when she’s asked to do an interview for an equestrian magazine. Then, while Tim thinks about the next step in his relationship, Jack and Lisa could face future problems in theirs.
Amy and Ty plan a romantic trip to Pike River, but Jack tags along to visit his old friend, Will Vernon. Meanwhile, Georgie trains hard with Phoenix to prove to a potential coach that they’re a great team, and Lou wavers on her decision regarding Maggie’s Diner in New York City. And Tim makes a spur of the moment decision causing tension between him and Jack.
Ty is asked to mentor a troubled kid, but finding common ground proves harder than he expected. Meanwhile, Lou organizes a horse yoga retreat at the Dude Ranch, but she is taken by surprise when she learns who the instructor is and this subsequently leads to hijinks between Georgie and Wyatt. And as Amy works with a restless yoga horse she learns the real reason her dad is so keen on helping Jack and Ty build a treehouse for Lyndy.
Amy and Ty take Lyndy on her first camping trip, but things don't go as planned when they find an injured animal along the way. Meanwhile, when Jade takes a bad fall in a bronc riding accident, Tim and Georgie must convince her to see a doctor before she ends up in a dangerous situation. And when Georgie starts working with her new coach, the advice she is given leaves her questioning her priorities. At the same time, Tim makes a nuisance of himself in his new home, causing Jack to call him out. Caleb is back to stir things up with Tim, but isn't that what we expect?
When the new manager at Fairfield comes to them with an unusual concern, Amy and Ty find themselves at odds about how best to treat her horse. Meanwhile, Lou and Peter don’t see eye to eye when Georgie is offered a life-changing opportunity. And Jack and Mitch disagree on the best recipe for success at an important business meeting.
Amy and Tim organize a team penning event for the family, but Tim manages to turn it into a town spectacle. Meanwhile Amy agrees to help Caleb when his horse acts out, but soon realizes the problem is not the horse. And when Jade is finally cleared to return to the rodeo, Georgie attempts to help her conquer her newfound fear of riding.
Lou returns to Heartland with an unconventional idea to attract guests to the Dude Ranch. Meanwhile, Georgie throws herself into training, but her dedication takes a massive toll on her relationship. Amy and Ty’s suspicions are raised when a Fairfield horse wins a race despite an injury and Jack struggles to put together a homecoming present for Lisa.
Amy and Ty work together to treat a doped racehorse, but when it turns into a race against the clock Amy looks to an unexpected source for help. Meanwhile, Georgie pushes herself to a breaking point, and Lou and Peter must help her pick up the pieces. And Jack is at odds with Tim when Tim attempts to usurp his place at the head of the cattle drive.
After some tragic news, the family finds ways to cope with their grief. Jack retreats to his fishing cabin, but when he finds himself in danger it may be up to an old friend to save him. Meanwhile, Ty helps Luke with a school project, but Amy’s grief leads to new discoveries about Luke’s home life. As Mitch’s wedding looms, Lou struggles to let go, and Tim is left to consider his own decisions.
When Jack finds out Will Vernon’s wild horses are in danger, the family rallies behind him to bring them home. Amy and Ty face an important decision regarding Luke, but news from Clint may change everything. And while Lou tries to hold her peace about Mitch’s wedding, Tim’s goading weakens her resolve. In the meantime, Georgie wrestles with a decision that could take her away from her family, and Jack and Lisa reconnect after their time apart.
Amy and Ty worry about the impact a surprise visitor will have on Luke. Meanwhile, Georgie bonds with a client horse she’s caring for, and tries to convince Amy to confront the horse’s owner about its wellbeing. Jack helps Tim search for his horse, Champ, who disappeared during the storm, and Lou and Mitch go on a wildly unsuccessful romantic getaway.
Georgie’s graduation has finally arrived, but so has a mysterious figure from her past. Meanwhile Amy retrains one of Lisa’s racehorses as a jumper and learns more about Georgie’s surprise visitor in the process. And while Tim plays protective grandfather to Georgie, Lou deals with tension from all sides as the cattle business begins to fall apart and Mitch’s constant absence puts a strain on their relationship.
Amy and Ty get some unexpected news about Luke just as Amy has to face an upsetting truth about Spartan. Meanwhile, as Ty deals with an influx of injured animals, Lou thinks she knows what’s causing the problem, but Tim warns her against risking her mayoral campaign on a dangerous theory. And while Jack helps Luke with a secret project, Georgie works on finding a way to help Amy’s dilemma with Spartan, but her motives may not be entirely selfless.