As a few others have expressed, I have many concerns about what is actually going on as nothing seems to add up, whether it be them making money on her, commission scam, etc. Also, it was made clear this horse did not need to be off my feed bill or sell so pretty bold of them to assume I would just agree to the extreme price reduction.
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Curious if the horse has had some sort of significant injury or issue caused by the current trainer.
Would explain why they offered so much less than the original purchase price - perhaps the horse has actually dropped in value by half and they know that, but hoping to save some sort of reputation by keeping you out of the loop. I dunno, just throwing that idea out there.
Agree with the other posters about bringing the horse home, or at least making the trek out to see him.
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Update us, OP when you find out!
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I am not sure this is a huge red flag. They like the horse enough to want to own her. There is no harm in asking for a lower price and being told no. Peopleās finances can change on both sides of these situations.
Obviously, it would be better if they were more communicative, and it might be a good idea to have someone check in on the horse if that is something your contract allows. It might be especially easy to have someone watch the horse go at a horse show.
But a bad or nervous amateur could be missing a change every class or chipping a fence every class, missing the top ribbonsāand still be perfectly safe and capable of keeping the horse through the duration of the lease she paid for. This does not seem like a breach of contract situation based on the information you posted. Itās also possibleāthough certainly not guaranteedāthat the rider will improve over the next five months and so will the record.
Just putting myself in the riderās shoes: If I signed a contract and paid a lease fee for a horse for an entire year, and the owner came and took it back with five months to go just because I didnāt want to buy it at her preferred price and was making some amateur mistakes at the horse shows, Iād be pretty upset.
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Absolutely. Iām not going to terminate the lease for ammy mistakes or asking for price reduction - those I can understand (I myself have had low ball offers accepted so I guess it never hurts to ask). But I do find the request offensive as the main reasons seemed to be due to their rider/trainer issues, not the horse, and it was made clear this horse does not need to sell. However, with the inability to update, absolutely no acknowledgement of my request for videos, and the condition of the mare in show photos I am concerned.
Will keep everyone posted when I have an update! So far still radio silence.
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Pretty sure the recommendations to end the lease are due to the extreme lack of communication from the lease rider and trainer, not the show record.
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This. As another poster said, you could offer to prorate lease back if you want to keep it amicable or find a polite and firm way to connect to communication. I would facilitate a pick up asap versus waiting for a 30-day. Itās not worth waiting to appease unless it is required. If so, you can always touch base with an equine attorney about options too.
In the interim, OP, if you donāt have friends in the area, there may be someone here who lives near the horse who could do a visit on your behalf and get photos/videos if you want to share where the horse is. It could be done as āHey! I am a friend of [your name] and she said [horse name] lives near me and asked me to visit and bring treats.ā Or āHey! I am a friend of [your name]. She requested an update on [horse jame] and asked me to visit him. I plan to come XYZ per her request.ā
Keep us posted!
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Well, I think the two combined make for an even bigger red flag. If I was leasing a horse with a great show record and we werenāt doing well at shows, you bet Iād be on the phone with the owner apologizing, saying I got really nervous, horse did her best, going to get in a few more lessons or rides during the week to get into shape. That, combined with the lowball offer citing that the horse was difficult is very worrisome.
In todayās day and age, when people take photos of their dinner, outfit, and pets at a momentās notice, even if the trainer is busy, there isnāt much excuse for the leaser not getting a few photos, even if only just casual ones.
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Except that from the sound of it the leaser/rider probably isnāt allowed contact with the owner so all communication goes through the trainer.
