We all make them. We all blow them. Most resolutions almost set you up to fail because they are so general that you won't know if you have succeeded or not. For instance, if you resolve to "ride better this year," I'm fairly certain your trainer would push you on that vague goal and want to know precisely what movements you were hoping to ride better and what your definition of better is. If you are competitive, you are helped by the fact that you have to decide the level you expect to compete at in the upcoming season. Your level has technical requirements you have to meet, which means performing specific tasks to a specific standard if you want to place in the ribbons or do what you feel is a good performance for you.
Narrow it Down and Set a Goal
No matter your level or whether you compete or not, I prefer to think in terms of training plans rather than "resolutions." For example, you might need to improve your flying changes, and the need to do so will make your riding lessons and practice time quite focused on the elements that need to be in place in order for your changes to improve.
If you have done any corporate training, or read or listened to any material on goal-setting, you are probably familiar with the concept of SMART (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic and Timebound) goals. Thus, your goal to compete at Third Level by May and your plan to improve your flying changes by training five times each week while focusing on the level requirements with your coach is a SMART goal. It's specific (Third Level by May), measurable (changes yes/no and desired score 60 percent), achievable (you and your horse can physically do this with the right training), realistic (you finished Second Level, and you have most of the other movements in place, and it's quite reasonable to believe you could be ready in time) and appropriately time bound (the first show is May 5, and you have to register by March 30, giving you exactly 12 more weeks).
Your Part in the Training
You know that your body has the biggest impact on your horse's way of going. Your position, self-carriage and technical correctness and clarity in applying aids will actually be the biggest component of your training with your horse. If your coach got on your horse, he would have his flying changes in a week or two. So, the three to four months of preparation is mostly about you--and partnering with your horse. To be the best in the practice sessions with your partner, you will need to bring a self-carrying body, use the muscles you need and keep others relaxed, not confuse your horse with mixed signals and be able to keep up with the ride (not getting out of breath and fatiguing in the first half).
To apply the SMART goal principle to your own training, you might have goals such as "improve my cardiovascular ability so that I can ride a full ride without being out of breath or tired, apply my lead change aids correctly throughout the ride and lose five pounds before the May 5 show." Your goal is specific. It's measureable because you can count how long you can go through your ride before getting winded, and how many of your flying change requests you make correctly and incorrectly. You do want consistency to facilitate your horse's learning. Your goal is totally achievable and realistic, unless you are already underweight. Five pounds of weight lost over 12 weeks is less than half a pound a week. Most people can lose one to two pounds per week fairly easily.
You can make this happen by having a net loss of 1,750 calories per week through a combination of additional exercise (which will also improve your cardiovascular ability) and very slight reduction in daily calorie intake (about 100 to 200 calories per day--nothing drastic). Identify a specific exercise (running or speed walking, for example), which you will do three times a week, for 15 to 20 minutes at a fairly intense rate and still leave you the time you need to make your goal of five rides per week. If you currently weigh 140 pounds and power-walk two miles, you burn almost 200 additional calories. This makes every part of your goal and your plan measureable and timebound, especially when you write your walk/run time into your agenda.
Power walking, walking, hill walking, hiking and running can be very good exercise for a rider, not just for the cardiovascular benefits, but also because the motion involved helps loosen and keep your hips mobile. Even if you choose a different cardiovascular option, such as a fitness class or cycling, I recommend walking a few times a week. It can be incorporated into the day, like walking the pasture periphery to check the fence or look for a lost halter/shoe.
