Based in the UK? Read our UK version of this guide with prices in pounds.
Plenty of boarding barns set their rates by calling around to the barns nearby, then pricing a little below them. It's one of the fastest ways to end up subsidizing your boarders. Hay, bedding, insurance, fuel and labor have all climbed sharply, and the barn down the road may be underpricing too.
This guide is for US barn owners and managers. It covers typical boarding rates in 2026, how to work out what a stall really costs you, and how to price each type of board.
There's no single national survey of boarding prices. The ranges below come from published barn rates and equine cost guides, and local markets vary enormously. The same full-care board that runs $700–$900 a month in the rural Midwest can cost $2,000–$3,500 or more near major coastal cities.
| Board type | Typical monthly price | What's usually included |
|---|---|---|
| Pasture board | $150–$450 | Turnout, shelter, water; hay in winter varies |
| Self-care board | $100–$300 | Stall and turnout; owner feeds and cleans |
| Partial board | $250–$700 | Some feeding or turnout by the barn; owner does the rest |
| Full board | $600–$1,600+ | Daily care, stall cleaning, hay and feed |
| Training board | Full board + training fee | Full care plus regular rides or lessons |
Total up a year of costs and divide by the number of stalls you can realistically keep filled. Use your expected occupancy, not 100%.
Then add a margin. Aim for roughly 15–25% over true cost, so a drought year or a hay shortage doesn't wipe you out.
Enter your barn's real costs once, and StableRate Pro works out what each board package costs to provide and what you need to charge to make a margin. It's an offline app and a one-time purchase, with no subscription.
See StableRate Pro →Services done as favors are where barns lose the most money. Put these on a written price list:
In 2026, US full board typically costs $600–$1,600 or more a month, partial board $250–$700, pasture board $150–$450 and self-care board $100–$300. Prices near major coastal cities can be much higher.
Add up a year of costs (property, insurance, utilities, maintenance, hay, bedding and labor, including your own wage), divide by the stalls you expect to fill, and add a margin of around 15–25%. Then build each board package from that base cost.
Full board usually includes daily feeding, stall cleaning, turnout, and hay and grain. Blanketing, holding for the vet or farrier, medications and exercise are often charged as extras, so list them clearly in your contract.