Edited to add --

If you board, I think you really have to look around. I have boarded at some good places and at some really bad places. You have to find a place who does it the way that you want it done. (My current barn does almost 24/7 turnout which is what I want.) You usually do have to make some compromises and often you have to be willing to drive. I drive 30 minutes each way (without traffic - add in evening traffic and it takes me easily 60 minutes to get there). Also, if you board you really have to become friendly with the barn manager. I try to help her out when I can (I will pick up poop, clean my own water bucket, fill troughs, feed/turnout when she's out of town) because if I'm helping her than she is more willing to help me out when I need extra care for my horse. At my current barn, my horse gets great care and I can easily leave her for over a week and think nothing about doing it. I travel a lot more than 2 weeks a year. Sometimes, I'm gone for almost 2 weeks at a time so having Marley taken care of by someone knowledgeable who I trust is EXTREMELY important to me.