Natalia Andrews Chapter 1- Damn Cowboy

Natalia Andrews
Dec 28, 2015
5 min read

WARNING! This chapter contains stong lanuage and some stock horse discrimination. If you don't like da bad words or you can't take a joke about da pretty ponies, you probably shouldn't read this. :)

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Ok so I never know how to start these things...

Natalia Andrews, Age 22... no that won't do...

Hey there!... No that's dumb...

Greetings!... What am I 76?!

Hi. I'm Natalia. Well I guess that's a good a start as we are going to get.

My mom gave me this dumb journal and told me to "Write down my deepest thoughts and dreams!" Pft! The only thing that is getting my deepest thoughts and dreams is Warner. Warner is my Barb, North African Barb to be exact. I moved with him from France to America about 6 months ago. But that's a whole other story.

So back to this journal thing. My mom said she kept one right before she met my dad. She said it was the only thing that kept her going while my dad wasn't in France with her. I call bull shit on all the lovey dovey crap. The only reason I'm doing this is because my mom wouldn't get off the damn phone unless I promised to write in it. So here I am. Woopty do.

Well I guess I could write about my day? Is that what people write in these things about? Well here goes nothing.

So for a few months I've been living at Libertas. It really is perfect here. I have my own apartment that I got to decorate myself, my own parking spot, and I will be right next to Warner. WILL BE being the key words there. Ever since I moved here we have had to board all the horses at a barn nearby. It's not an awful drive, its actually quite pretty. Only about 15 minutes by car. But it's not the same as being able to see my horse from my front porch.

But the day has finally come! The main barn is all build and ready for us to move horses in. The whole team was in there yesterday moving in tack and our trunks. I love seeing that barn all clean and new. No clutter, no mess, just perfection! I asked Tori (she is the owner of Libertas) if I could be the first one to move in in the morning. She said if I could get my ass out of bed early enough I was more than welcome too! She wouldn't be able to get the rest of the horses over there until after 10.

So I set my alarm for 5AM! I was up and at it as soon as my phone lit up. It was kind of a creepy drive to the barn before the sun came up, but it was totally worth it. I had all my tack packed up and Warner almost in the trailer before 6:30. Then I was booking it back to Libertas!

The sun was just high enough in the sky, as I pulled though the front gate, to make it finally feel like morning instead of the middle of the night. I passed by the front offices and my apartment. "That's where I live!" I called to Warner who gave a slight nicker in return to my voice. As I was driving past the warm-up arenas and the indoor visitors' facility my heart began to race. I was so excited to get Warner into his new home. But then I saw something that could only be described as an utter catastrophe in my view.....

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!" I screamed as I pulled up behind one of the biggest horse trailers I have ever seen. The license plate said it was from Canada. All kinds of dirt and horse shit scattered all over the new pavement. I was so pissed! But whatever, I was just going to unload Warner then give his free loader a piece of my mind.

As I unloaded Warner and headed for the main entrance to the barn I saw IT.

A god damn, two-tone, cow moving, grass guzzling PAINT HORSE! And to make matters worse, there was a western saddle lying on the floor in front of the stall. Now you have to understand, I love most horses. Drafts, Ponies, Warmbloods, my precious Exotics, BUT under no circumstances will I get into a WESTERN saddle and ride a STOCK HORSE! They are all fat, lazy, slugs of animals and their riders are no different! Needless to say I was not impressed.

^ That is not my happy face. Just as I was about to see what kind of trash would bring a Stock into my beloved stable, my phone went off in my pocket...

Oh God no. Please no! Let it not be true! A COWBOY bringing STOCKS into my sanctuary. And not only is he a cowboy, he is a cowboy with a 2 letter name.... This can't really be happening...

Oh but it is happening. The sight of that damn western saddle cluttering up my beautiful aisle was making my blood boil. "Helloo?" The damn Canadian accent pierced my ear drums like nails on a chalk board.

"Hi" I said sharply as I walked up to the cracked open stall door.

"Oh hi there! Are you Miss Belliard?" Really cowboy? Do I look like an almost 30 year old that is in charge of an equestrian center?

"Um... No. She is still out." I gave him a laser glare that I hoped pierced right through his heart. Dumb ass didn't even notice.

"Oh! Well if you see her could you tell her JT arrived safe and sound!" his chipper tune made me want to smack him in the mouth.

"Looks like we are letting anyone into our center these days?" I mumbled under my breath

"Sorry?"

"Oh nothing." I brushed him off like an annoying nat around my food.

"So, Tori is getting into Stocks now?" I asked

"Well. Not really stocks. These are Spanish Barbs. This girl here is Reina. She is my little cow princess! She'll cut 'em before you even get both your feet in the stirrups!"

Did he just say what I think he said? These mongrels are considered Barbs? No. No, no, no, no, NO! I will not accept it!

"So they are exotics?" I asked praying him to say no.

"Oh No!"

(Praise Jesus)

"These guys are baroques!"

Well at least they aren't stocks. I still hate them, but not with the burning passion I once had.

Finally JT looked up from his horse to see me.

"Oh looks like you got a good looking fella there yourself! Hey there bud!" he said as he stuck his hands through the bars to greet Warner. Warner gave a little snort and backed away from JT's hand. I could see our distaste for the man was mutual.

"Well I better go get him settled in." I said quickly as I pulled Warner away and started walking him to his stall.

"Oh! Well it was nice meeting you! What did you say your name was again?" He called out as I walked away with haste.

"Oh its not important!" I called back to him. I really had no intention of ever speaking to that man ever again. Just the thought of seeing his painted freaks every day was enough to make me sick.

As I let Warner into his nice clean stall he started to sniff around at the bedding. "You like that, bud?" I asked him softly. He soon returned to me as if to say he found these conditions quite satisfactory.