First I would get a soil test. Take it to the local fertilizer plant so you will know what field needs to grow good grass. I think I would spray field to kill everything, work the dirt, fertilize and reseed. No-till drill would allow seeding with no plowing or disking of ground. You probably won't be able to use the pasture till spring. You need to allow new seed to grow, get more mature. Very tender roots will be easily pulled up or cut with hooves running around. I would agree that alfalfa is way too rich for horses pasture, though I would say alfalfa is worse for young horses than older ones. Young horses get calcium--phosphorus balance off quickly when fed alfalfa as well as gaining too much weight. Causes tendon, bone problems in growing animals. Older horses have more trouble with alfalfa reacting in their systems. Mine get the runs. Some horses never have any problems with alfalfa. There are several seed mixes available, you should check what is sold in your local area. Good grass in North Carolina probably won't grow well in Canada. If you EVER plan to have a bred mare you want no Fescue grass to prevent delivery problems. I found the Mare and Foal grass mixes to contain no Fescue seeds. Read ALL the contents labels. Buying something cheap that mostly or only contains annual Ryegrass is not a good seed investment for your money. If you can get grass seed drilled in with a seed drill or no-till drill, it gets a better start than broadcast seed.

How that manure/bedding will compost depends on the ratio of manure to bedding. Hence dawncols' advice to read the FAQ. If it composts very hot and smells bad, it needs more browns. If it's slow and the wood shavings don't go away, it needs more nitrogen (greens). If you get the brown/green mix right, mature compost is pretty much the same regardless of what you started with. Once you have good finished compost (it can take as little as 3 months or so if properly balanced) you can till that right in. If you're making raised beds you'll have to add some soil and not just pure compost, because it will continue to decompose and the beds will shrink on you.

Didn't we talk about your fireplace some time back? It feels so familiar to me, and I remember those mirrors. I love the stone and the rustic feel. I am sorry, but the mirrors are much too formal and gilded for the rustic feel of the fireplace and the wall around it. I think they are wonderful, but they need to be in a different spot. They are also too small for the mass of the stone and wood. WIth the new fireplace screen being so detailed, I would pretty much clear the mantel and perhaps use a grouping of great leather bound books in various colors of leather, perhaps three or five taller ones standing vertically and then two horizontally, and put the clock on the horizontal stack. That would be on one side. On the other, a grouping of pottery vases or containers, with a bit of a rustic or handmade feel, in some colors that would pull the colors from the fireplace screen. Since the kitty won't stay on the mantel (LOL!), in the center you could use a low container with a lush green plant or plants in it. A large round platter could stand behind that, something lighter in color to stand out against the dark wood wall. If you really want to use the brass candlesticks, I think you need to get glass hurricanes to put over them, stand them together, and then use a color for candles taken from the screen. They are too small and skinny to stand up there spread apart.

No but I didn't loose any on the value of this house either. You can never realize your investment back in dollars. I just happened to have known this person for a few years and the garden was a benefit to him. Loves conifers and very knowledgeable nursery man. Without my contact it could have been a difficult sell. How many working families are going to find that would want to take on the added work to maintain this garden? This garden is a full time job. It does afford you coffee breaks and a snack but you have to provide that yourself.