Just one question...

Why the hell would you go and look at a $3600 horse when you have a strict budget of $2000? More importantly, why would you not ask if the price was negotiable before seeing the horse?
*ARG*

This weekend I was showing my dressage prospect, who I have put months of training into getting him well behaved, balanced, supple and so on. He's really come a long way. I had an interested call who I approved to come out (I veto a lot of people right off the bat) who was looking for a dressage horse and friend for her teenage daughter.  This is perfect because my guy does trails, loves attention and people, bonds like glue, is basically bombproof, and could kick butt in dressage with just a little more training. In the ad I say that he has not been shown and is a prospect, he's been being schooled in English but needs an actual dressage trainer/rider to finish him out before showing him.
I bathed his socks the day before, cleaned up the pasture and round pen, straightened the tack room and of course, groomed him until he almost shined (he's in his winter coat) as well as grooming all of the other horses.
When they came the mother told me she knew next to nothing about horses and didn't even know what a draft horse was. (Budweiser horses) So I was explaining things and showing her stuff and letting her daughter get to know him before riding. He ate up the attention and she loved him. I rode him, showed his cues and how he mainly works off of seat and leg cues and is very light. The daughter asked a lot of good questions and then she rode. He was good, except for when she got nervous and he started tossing his head a little bit until she took a deep breath. He was listening for her leg cues so intently that he walked face first into the arena panels. *clang!* It was kind of hilarious since it wasn't hard. She loved him and he really seemed to like her a lot. Everything was going great, so I got back on and rode him a second time because she wanted to see a few things.
Daughter decided she really wanted him and he was perfect.
And that's when it all starts going to hell.
The mother told me she had originally set a $2000 limit on price and asked what my lowest price would be. I said I was fairly firm but slightly negotiable because I'd really liked her daughter and thought they'd be a good match. She asked if I would consider a payment plan, half now and half in a few weeks. I said I'd have to think about it because the way she phrased it made it seem like she wanted to take the horse right away, and I'm not okay with the horse leaving without the full price being paid. Too much shit can happen.
We called her back later and said I'd do it if he stayed on our property and her daughter could visit and I'd give her free lessons/tips on working with him until he left. She was confused and asked if I'd agreed to take the $2000. Uh no. Would I take $2500? No.

Then we got the texts. The texts saying how she didn't understand why I was asking so much and how she'd shown the ad and admittedly poor video, to her horse contacts and they agreed and thought I was being a little unreasonable.  He didn't have show experience after all or professional training (even though he had in western before me and I've put 5-6 months on him) and that's what usually drove a price up. She couldn't understand it and asked me why I thought he was worth my asking price.
Well this just pissed me off. He was perfect and they'd adored him when they were out. Everything had been disclosed in the ad, which they'd seen before making the decision to come out. I HATE when people try to lowball me. If you say, we love them but just can't afford that financially, I'll work with you happily. You try to tell me my horse isn't worth jack, and I just don't want to sell you my horse. At all. I want to know they're going to the perfect home.
 I was dumbfounded, hadn't she just told me hours before that she knew next to nothing about horses?! She didn't even know what a draft horse was- and he was advertised as a draft cross!  Since I have a temper when it comes to dealing with humans I replied with a 2-3 page breakdown of exactly why he was worth that and had she seen the prices draft crosses go for in other areas?! He has great conformation and is stocky so he can carry a bigger rider. He's light and fluid and you can ride him bareback, in a halter, at night after not working him for two weeks. Jump on from the ground and go. He's also a great trail horse and not at all spooky. I told her there was a lot more to a horse than just a ribbon or two. His biggest problem is that he can sometimes get a little too excited walking back to the barn but we've been working on doing so with a loose rein and occasionally he doesn't want to stand still when being ridden in his pasture. He's great in the arena which is a work space.

This was him when I got him.
And this is him now

My cape flapping about in our fantasy  themed shoot didn't even make him bat an eye. 

I have put many serious hours into retraining him and now all he needs is a little bit of time with a dressage trainer or experienced rider. Because I normally ride Western and I've taught him all I can, even while I've been reading up on dressage books.
I still haven't heard back from the person. But the hell would you go and look at a horse that's $1600 out of your price range when you knew you couldn't afford it!? It's rude and a waste of everyone's time and your child's emotions. This is why I hate selling horses. I like stopping them from going to slaughter, I like training them, I like helping them get a second chance, but I HATE dealing with the people.