[mdjlucan]

I've got clay soil will Im finding it very hard to get hold of  Horse manure what else can I use to break down the clay soil thanks

[Yorkie]

Garden compost, mushroom compost, leaf mould, soil improver (see if your council gives any away) - basically anything that has rotted down from being a plant or similar.

[ptarmigan]

Spent mushroom compost is great and quite cheap.

Gather up leaves in the autumn (lots) and leave to rot down in bags or a wire cage - long term strategy but free. 

Your own home made compost - I let borage self seed everywhere and pull it up to add to the compost.

Seaweed if you are anywhere near the sea.

Ask neighbours etc for grass clippings and use as a mulch - will break down over the summer.

Compost from the council.

Have you rung rounds stables etc for horse manure - we've got a farmer with horses who comes up and dumps a wagon load of manure by the front gate every so often. 

[AnnieB]

Anything like compost and when possible manure will help. I also recall from something a long time ago that it is advisable to incorporate something like a bag or however many of ballast/grit. As I recall the addition of such stabilises the changes made when the compost+manure etc are added and incorporated.

I have a small area to do that sounds very similar. it is presently solid and cracked, my intention is to edge one side then empty on to it a few bags of inexpensive compost and a couple of bags of finely chipped bark I saw today. All this after the next decent rain, so I can actually get a fork to penetrate the ground.

A new slightely raised bed I want for fruit bushes I will do much the same. The area that it will go at presently has a layer of shredded small branches and such like raked over it and that will also get dug in.