I moved and started to dig a some of the lawn up for a flower bed

The ants will be there because the soil is dry, now you exposed it either water or let the rain do the job. If it is very compacted dig it over and add organic matter, compost or well rotted manure.

It's going to take work to prepare the ground for a planting bed. You need to break up the ground. A garden spade or pick ax may come in handy. After breaking up the ground, add some compost. You can add, fallen leaves, grass clippings, fruit & vegetable scraps from the kitchen, ground egg shells. All of these will enrich the soil and bring in earthworms and microbes that will benefit the plants. Don't worry about the ants. They won't do anything. Mg hit the nail on the head!

The ants are red ants are they OK to leave as well. Is horse manure OK
Spoon

Ah don't worry about the ants. They will always be there long after us. Horse manure is good as long as it's well rotted. Fresh horse manure has too much ammonia and salt which will burn the new plants.

I'd use a mixture of fine horse manure and sharp sand (not builders sand) as soil improvers. Before you add these, soak the area first with a hose then leave for at least an hour. Then dig in a 50-50 mixture of the manure and sand into the area and work the soil with a fork, ensuring the fork goes in full depth. It is hard work, so take your time.

Red ants don't cause a problem for plants other then they will sting if you get them on your skin. So be careful. If you want to get rid use an insecticide.

If you've got a sprinkler and hose, leave the sprinkler on the area for a couple of hours at least - most of the ants will leave, and the soil will be a lot easier to dig. Composted animal manure is perfect, including horse manure, provided it is actually composted, not fresh.

If you can afford to wait a good mulch over the winter will hep a lot too. Fallen leaves, chopped with a lawn mower if you can do it, seaweed if you live near the sea, even grass mowings if you have any. Leave it in place over the winter and hopefully worms will take some of it down for you.

Even just deep digging and leaving over winter will cure the ant problem and the compactness. Any humus that you can get, manure, compost, whatever, will be even better. As Steragram, do what you can now and leave it over winter.

All good points above. Keep adding the compost & organic matter. This feeds the worms & microbes which do the real work. The ants actually help with this too. As Steragram mentioned, cover over with fallen leaves and let it stay there all winter. Then turn the rotted leaves into the soil in Spring. Your planting bed will be ready for planting in Spring. Buy flower seeds now that you can start up inside during winter to plant out in Spring or just get them from the garden center. Seeds are cheaper.

Thanks everybody for your help sounds like I have a lot of work to do. Will let you know .
Spoon

It's fun work and good exercise. It will be worth it.

Bit at a time, Spoon. Don't go mad at it and mind your back.

Just a thought Spoon - when you use a lot of leaves for mulch be aware that if you use ash or sycamore you'll need to look out for a lot of little seedlings in spring and the first summer - just pull them out when you see them.