Creating and Managing Board Package Types
Offering multiple board packages is standard practice at most equine facilities. Full board, partial board, pasture board, training board, and various combinations of these create options for clients at different price points and with different needs. Managing these packages effectively, keeping pricing consistent, ensuring clients are billed correctly, and communicating clearly about what each package includes, requires deliberate structure.
Defining Your Packages Clearly
Start with clear written definitions for each package you offer. Vague package descriptions create expectations that vary between clients and staff, which leads to disputes.
Full board typically includes stall housing, daily turnout, twice-daily feeding with hay and grain, stall cleaning, blanket on and off, and basic health monitoring. Partial board usually means the barn handles feeding and stall care but the client is responsible for riding and additional horse management. Pasture board means the horse lives outside in a group or individual paddock with access to shelter, hay provided, and basic care but no stall.
Write these definitions down and include them in your boarding agreement. Don't rely on client interpretations of "full board" to match yours. State specifically what's included and what's not.
Pricing Package Types
Pricing should reflect your actual costs plus a reasonable margin. The mistake many barn managers make is pricing packages based on what competitors charge or what feels reasonable, without calculating what each package actually costs to deliver.
For each package, estimate the time cost: how many minutes per day does a full board horse require versus a pasture board horse? Multiply that by your labor cost. Add feed costs, bedding costs, facility overhead, and your target margin. This gives you a floor price. If your calculated floor is above what the market will bear, you need to either reduce costs or reconsider whether that package is viable.
Pasture board is often underpriced because barn managers underestimate the cost of hay, water infrastructure maintenance, and fence upkeep. Full board is often overpriced at some facilities and underpriced at others. Know your numbers.
Review pricing at least annually. Feed costs, labor costs, and overhead change. Your rates should change with them. Communicate rate changes to boarders with at least 30 to 60 days advance notice and explain why the adjustment is happening.
Communicating Package Terms to Clients
When a client inquires about boarding, walk them through the specific package options and what each one includes. Use your written descriptions as the starting point. Ask questions about the horse's management needs to help guide the client toward the right package.
Don't let clients self-select packages based on price alone without understanding what they're getting. A client who picks pasture board thinking it works like a slightly cheaper version of full board will be frustrated and demanding. A client who understands exactly what pasture board is and genuinely suits their horse's needs will be happy and low-maintenance.
When a client moves in, confirm their selected package in writing. This should be in the boarding agreement. The agreement should state the package name, monthly rate, effective date, and what the package includes.
Managing Package Changes
Clients change packages for various reasons: a new horse with different needs, a change in budget, or a shift in how much time the owner has to spend at the barn. When a package change happens, document it carefully.
Note the effective date of the change. Prorate the old rate through the end of the day before the change, and start the new rate on the change date. Communicate this clearly on the next invoice so the client understands why the amount may be different.
If a client is requesting a downgrade in services due to financial pressure, have an honest conversation about what the new package will look like for their horse. If the horse genuinely needs more care than the downgraded package provides, that's a conversation worth having before the change takes effect rather than after problems emerge.
BarnBeacon makes it straightforward to update a horse's package in the system and have the billing reflect the change automatically, including prorating mid-month adjustments.
Tracking Which Package Each Horse Is On
As your facility grows, keeping track of which horse is on which package becomes its own administrative task. A horse that moved from pasture to full board two months ago should not be billed at pasture rates. A training board horse that completed their program and transitioned to regular full board needs to be updated in your system.
Audit your package records quarterly. Check that each horse's current package matches what's being billed. Check that recent package changes are reflected correctly. This quarterly audit takes 20 to 30 minutes and prevents the billing errors that create boarder distrust.
Package management connects directly to board types and pricing. If you haven't thought through your package structure recently, it's worth a review to make sure your offerings, definitions, and pricing are still working for your operation.