stuffabunny

I was talking to a soon-to-be horse owner yesterday trying to help her through the maze of information and boarding options to find the best level of care and the best value for her and her family for their new horse. She has visited various facilities in a 20minute drive from her home (what she deemed a reasonable distance) and got their board options and prices and talked to boarders and staff. She remarked it might be easier to rent a car or home than find a place to rent for your horse. While that is true anyone who has looked for a senior living facility can tell you that emotions and personal opinions impact your choice for a loved one more than value and distance.
There are a few main types of boarding:
Rough Board: usually describes a board arrangement where you are responsible for daily turnout, mucking the stall, and possibly feeding. Normally dirt cheap, but you must pay for everything from shavings, to feed, to hay and isn't very easy for those who have jobs. Most likely includes access to riding rings, tack room storage, and other facilities at the barn.

Rough Board with Services: same as rough board but may include a reasonable amount of shavings/feed/hay. May also include turnout service or taking on or off a blanket/rug depending on climate and weather or worming with same schedule as other horses at barn. As above includes access to facilities at the barn.

Either may have training added on, normally you send your horse to a trainer and thus are required to board in their barn or a barn that is close to them. Many facilities add this on to the boarding price based on a set number of training sessions per day/week/month.

Full Board: mucking, turnout, feeding, etc is taken care of by the owner/manager of the barn possibly with the help of several grooms/stable hands or working students who are trained to safely handle your horse (you hope). This leaves you free to work to pay for this service and only to stop by when its convenient for you to visit or ride. As with rough board includes access to facilities, may include first priority if more than one person is looking at using them based on the client paying more to board.

Full Board with Services: full board as described above may also include extra turnout, extra hay, taking on off blankets/rugs and worming along with other horses at barn.

Full board as with rough board might also come with the option of having your horse trained for extra fees. Options might also be given to have vet/farrier visits along with rest of barn to lower fees by visiting more than one horse.

From the owner's side boarding requires vaccinations, wormers, etc to provide a horse that is safe to be a part of a group of horses, whether turned out alone or with other horses. While some of these may be safely omitted if your horse is in your backyard and never leaves, you will be required to provide proof of such things being administered. You may also be held financially liable for damage your horse does while being boarded such as broken fences, snapped crossties, etc. many barns offer other options that were not listed here. Horse people tend to be flexible and want to help out if possible as long as it won't lose them money and time.