Good luck with the West Riding.
I use moon calendars for sowing, with mixed results. Some sowings on non-recommended days do better than expected, sometimes vice versa. But an experiment with sowing carrots on a bad moon day and then on a good one resulted in 20% more roots from those sown a week later on the Earth day.
On the whole I reckon that sowing at the right time of year is most important, and having soil in best condition. Then see if you can fit sowings to moon periods – but which ones? Two days before full moon gives most growth, but we can’t sow everything then and quality is another issue…
Re manure, cow and horse are both good, the former has perhaps more nutrients, the latter is softer and often less soggy. Quality depends on bedding used – every batch is different, never a dull moment – and there is also the dreaded question of aminopyralid. With horses, owners cannot always be sure whether the hay comes from grass sprayed with it. Test by spreading a little on soil and sowing peas, if healthy and without leaves curling inwards, even as tiny plants, it is alright.