Commentator and broadcaster Adam Cromarty on New Year’s resolutions and how small choices, made continually, can change everything
As I write it’s that brief, magical time between the last mince pie of 2025 and the first show of 2026.
The tack room is spotless, rugs are clean and for a few glorious days, we actually go to the gym. We’re also approaching the date when most of us will abandon our New Year’s resolutions.
The grey skies and freezing temperatures don’t make it easy, but we must remember that the habits we form today will shape the success we enjoy tomorrow.
Studies have shown we have an autobiographical memory and that we reflect on our lives as a story – one that features chapter breaks of varying sizes. The fresh-start effect makes us more motivated to make a change at the beginning of each chapter. New year is a big one, but who’s ever started a diet at midday on a Thursday? It’s always a Monday, or at least the next day.
The good news is that when people continually eat the right food or always show up on time, this repeated good behaviour isn’t usually genetically gifted self-control; it’s simply a habit loop. Building habits is a great way to bring about change. We need to decide what we want the automatic behaviours in our life to be.
Pave the way to success
Resolutions relating to our sport tend to be results-focused and can be hugely ambitious. Who doesn’t want to win every class, move up the height and never miss a stride again?
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Moving the focus onto establishing the habits that would help achieve the end goal gives a greater chance of success.
We know competition results come from the work that no one sees: the flatwork on dark nights after work, the polework exercises you do when you would rather be jumping and the fittening work to ensure you have enough left in the tank by the end of the round.
Planning is important, but it’s just as important to ride the horse and not the calendar. With two hearts involved, there’s always a chance that things won’t go exactly to plan. Setting up for success is often focused only on the horse. Their diet, tack and fitness are all hugely important, but it doesn’t mean that the human in the equation should be forgotten.
Self-care is usually last on the priority list, behind children, horses, work, finances and anything else that creeps in. Maybe this is the year it could be a focus.
For me, travelling abroad to shows so often has made it difficult to make healthy choices. Then last year, I discovered boxing as a way to keep fit. Getting into a routine and working with a personal trainer to provide accountability has brought about some manageable lifestyle changes and I’m feeling great.
Research suggests that if we tackle our goals alongside someone else, we are 30% more likely to stick to a new behaviour. If you’re having to ride after work and the cold, dark nights aren’t very appealing, why not agree to meet a friend to ride with? You’re much less likely to let them down than yourself.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
One change that should be at the top of our list is asking for help earlier. Showjumping can be a lonely sport and as a community, we’re not the best at asking for support.
Have an honest conversation with your coach about your goals and make sure you are open to building new connections. On average, we lose a percentage of our friends every seven years, so it’s easy to become isolated if we’re too busy to make new ones.
If you’ve often felt that you may be neurodivergent, why not make this the year to get a diagnosis and learn some coping mechanisms?
If you have periods when you feel low, put yourself first and find time to speak to someone and get the support you deserve. If you’re at a show and see someone on their own, don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation – we’re all in this together.
It’s never too late to commit to how we want the year to look. Just remember to build in flexibility and stay positive when things don’t go to plan. If you can be just 1% better each time you ride, it soon adds up. Consistency always beats brilliance.
Enjoy the process, feel prepared when you hear the bell and remember that small choices, made continually, change everything. Start where you are, do what you can and let the season unfold.
Wishing you all the best for 2026!
● What are your equestrian New Year’s resolutions? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your thoughts to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine
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