I had verbally told one woman after meeting her TB gelding that I would like to lease him. Nothing was signed. She DID have the vet out to pull a Coggins, as my boarding facility requires it. I know she picked up a couple new bits for me to use as well. I had a couple of things change my mind this week:
1-Her story wasn't totally checking out. She'd had her horse on Craigslist for sale in the past 6 months, and she told me when I met her that "he would never be for sale." I did ask because I'd seen him on Craigslist months back, and she said she'd had a friend help her try and sell him. Ok, fine. She said she decided to NOT sell him after she broke him to ride, 3 months ago. Well, I saw an ad on Craigslist that sounded suspiciously like the gelding, posted on September 21. I e-mailed her from a different e-mail address just to see if it was her, and indeed it was. She said in her reply "Sorry, he's been leased out for the winter and will no longer be for sale." I didn't care that she'd wanted to sell him at one point, but the dates weren't adding up, it just felt kinda weird. However, I was going to overlook that because she was going to give me really flexible lease terms.
2-I actually ended up going to look at another gelding last night. 12 yo. QH/Appy/TB. Such a character. I was watching her lunge him and laughing-he was full of it but in a playful way. Plus, they've had him on sweet feed daily while he's sat for months, so what else would you expect. He was really fun to ride and I just got a very good vibe from him. His owners seem like very kind people, and they're willing to give me the same lease terms.
Now. How to tell the 1st woman that I've changed my mind? I feel rotten she had the vet out to pull a Coggins and that she bought some new stuff. But, I also just feel really good about this 2nd situation. Am I legally bound because I said on the phone I wanted to lease her gelding? Help!
1-Her story wasn't totally checking out. She'd had her horse on Craigslist for sale in the past 6 months, and she told me when I met her that "he would never be for sale." I did ask because I'd seen him on Craigslist months back, and she said she'd had a friend help her try and sell him. Ok, fine. She said she decided to NOT sell him after she broke him to ride, 3 months ago. Well, I saw an ad on Craigslist that sounded suspiciously like the gelding, posted on September 21. I e-mailed her from a different e-mail address just to see if it was her, and indeed it was. She said in her reply "Sorry, he's been leased out for the winter and will no longer be for sale." I didn't care that she'd wanted to sell him at one point, but the dates weren't adding up, it just felt kinda weird. However, I was going to overlook that because she was going to give me really flexible lease terms.
2-I actually ended up going to look at another gelding last night. 12 yo. QH/Appy/TB. Such a character. I was watching her lunge him and laughing-he was full of it but in a playful way. Plus, they've had him on sweet feed daily while he's sat for months, so what else would you expect. He was really fun to ride and I just got a very good vibe from him. His owners seem like very kind people, and they're willing to give me the same lease terms.
Now. How to tell the 1st woman that I've changed my mind? I feel rotten she had the vet out to pull a Coggins and that she bought some new stuff. But, I also just feel really good about this 2nd situation. Am I legally bound because I said on the phone I wanted to lease her gelding? Help!