Land management question - recovering over-grazed fields

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Crazydancer

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I'm not sure if this is the right bit of the forum, but I have a question to anyone who has experience recovering over-grazed land. We have only been on the current place a year, and lots of things happened. I don't own it, and the owners are not experienced but keen to learn, so we're finding our way through by trial and error!
So the first thing is we let the land get too eaten down last year, we were strip (or patch) grazing but maybe should have moved fencing sooner.
Then over winter we had too much stock (cows and sheep) and the land was battered further. (horses were off in a 'sacrifice' paddock by then)
So now although we have a good chunk of land (I'd guess 12 - 15 acres) we have been told we can now have exclusively for the horses, it's not at all good. There is a LOT of moss, no sign of any grass, what green there is is only moss and weed. There is a big area that slopes and is north-facing. The land owner is happy to do whatever is needed, the plan is to harrow as soon as it's dry enough, and re-seed with a horse-friendly grass.
So, questions are:
Given there has been cow/sheep manure and that still needs to be harrowed, would you think we need fertiliser as well?
We really need to get the horses back onto that land, how long would you leave after re-seeding before putting them back?
Given the amount of moss, should we be doing anything else?

I am hoping it's all going to be ok, but having walked the field yesterday I am concerned, the horses are on a mud patch right now and I can't see we will have anything to move them onto in the short term. :(
Thanks in advance for any advice........
 
First thing I would do is get the Ph tested and apply lime if necessary - nothing of any use will grow on land that is too acid. Sean Smith covers a lot of the UK (01629 581279) and is very reasonable, or ask at your local agricultural suppliers if they know someone. Then give it a little time - you would be surprised how even the most poached area will regenerate, and if it regenerates mostly weeds, be prepared to spray them off in May/June time
 
Thanks - will look into a test.
It's not so much poached, as carpeted in a lovely layer of moss! I've not been anywhere like this before, I'm used to just a re-seed, and wait, and new grass coming through. I've just been pondering and think a more aggressive harrow may be required - there is one at the yard but just a chain harrow I think. I'll check.
BTW forgot to mention the horses live out, and we have 1 more due to be added so will have 4. So in theory, plenty of land per horse.
It's just the moss that's a worry. :/
 
I would aggressively harrow the lot, it will look worse afterwards, then as you need to use it I would fence just enough to give them a sensible amount of space and feed hay while you treat the rest of the field as it going to take some time whatever you do to it, if done well this spring you will benefit longer term, just harrowing then chucking on seed will probably help but will not sort out the problem long term or even get the grass established enough for this year.
 
i am surprised that you have moss, if the land has had sheep on it. Our soil is ericacious but the sheep deal with the moss very effectively. I would ask if you can have the sheep back without the cattle, many of our neighbours had a splendid crop of buttercups last year but those of us with sheep on the land didn't.
I would harrow with a chain harrow, it will do the job but as JillA says you will be surprised how quickly the grass grows back. When the grass starts to grow noticeably, I would move the horses onto a different 'patch of your acreage but not all of it and allow the rest to grow on. If you can have the sheep back, they will get rid of your weeds.
 
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