From Rider Jan Weisman:
"If you think you can 'sit' your horse, try it. You'll find out what sitting down in the saddle really is!!!"
From FEI Level Trainer Lilly Joseph:
"I've tried the Unisit and it is awesome!!! I'm an FEI level trainer. It shows people how to sit deeper and move with the horse. Then you remember that feeling and carry it over to riding without this."
From Rider Kim Smith:
"After having my trainer use the Unisit with me and my 18.3 wb years ago, I finally was able to SIT, especially the huge transitions. Now, 5 years later at 56, I finally have my own Unisit and a new upper level horse. Can't wait to use it again! It is amazing!"
From Valerie McCloskey - USDF Bronze and Silver Medalist schooling Grand Prix, CHA Master Instructor and ACI, and USDF L Graduate with Distinction:
"I have been using the Unisit strap in my lesson program for over seven years. The Unisit is a most valuable tool to help riders achieve the correct " feel" of moving with their horse yet remaining quiet and subtle in their aides. I have found though that one of the biggest benefits is to really help the rider execute the half halt, which is something that eludes many riders. The horses love the Unisit as now their rider is moving with their movement and following and not sitting against them. The horses almost always become softer, lift their backs and come to the bit. The Unisit is a staple in my program and my students, even advanced ones, ask to use it on a regular basis."
From Rider Angela Seda-Garvin:
"So I had my 2nd experience today using the Unisit System...I can tell everyone that this is a MUST-HAVE for every rider! What an amazing device to assist the rider in feeling a correct seat. It helps me SO much!!! A perfect tool for trainers to help their students develop the feel of a correct seat or anyone for that matter that wants to improve their riding. I'm not a beginner and the tactile experience you gain with the Unisit is fantastic. This can and should be used by any level of rider. I felt 100% safe with this on, due to all the safety features in place. I can stay out of my horse's way and he can engage his hind end more because I'm not disrupting the movement. Those of you that know me, know I hardly ever post an endorsement for anything....but this hands-down is a total game changer for my riding! Thanks Paula Paglia for a great invention!!!"
From Rider Lauren Aston:
"OMG! I've used one of these, in a clinic with a top dressage trainer. It was AMAZING in helping me feel my seat and how it SHOULD move with my horse and -no joke- it only took like 5 min. with this thing on before there was a marked difference in my ability to stay with my horse at sitting trot and canter once I took it off. I knew what it should feel like so I could continue to work on my seat without it."
From Rider Katie Fales:
"Coming from a very nontraditional background as a jockey, I have struggled with my position in my dressage saddle from day one. I have broken my pelvis three times and ride an incredibly bouncy thoroughbred so I figured the sitting trot would never be something I would do well. I saw an advertisement for the Unisit and figured it couldn't hurt. After one ride I can't say enough good things about it!
The Unisit allowed me to relax my thigh and lower back and feel what it felt like to actually follow my horse's back. I had no idea which abdominal muscles you actually needed to sit the trot and with the Unisit I finally found them! One ride and I felt more confident and comfortable in my dressage saddle than I ever had. It is an excellent tool for anyone struggling with the sitting trot. It doesn't teach you to cheat - it allows you to relax and follow and figure out how to sit unassisted. I've ridden my whole life and never felt that feeling. I can't recommend it enough!
From Rider Julia Harbers:
"The Unisit strap creates a feeling of being 'plugged into' the saddle through my seat bones which allows me to move as one with my horse. Each time I use the Unisit, I'm able to engage my deep core muscle (Psoas) and create muscle memory so that I can recreate that seat without the Unisit."
From Collegiate Athlete Coach & Trainer Jo-Anne Young:
"The college students love them and are finding immediate improvement in their seats. We have them warm up without them, then ride with them about 15 - 20 minutes, then ride another 10 minutes without them to see if their muscles are developing the right feel, so that they can carry the improvements on without the strap. That is proving to be HIGHLY successful.
Jacque was delighted to see how much the units helped, and to see that the straps are adjustable enough to work well on all sizes of horses and riders, both. We have everything in our herd from a 17.2 dressage horse to a 14-hand Azteca and riders who range from a tiny 4'10" to 6'2" and from VERY slim to larger.
One of our adjunct equestrian professors competes in dressage. She came over this afternoon with her horse to try the Unisit Strap. She was very impressed with how much it helped her seat stabilize enough to get amazing quality shoulder-in, travers, half pass and extended trot from her Fourth Level schoolmaster gelding - her horse looked very happy, too, and also got quite a bit more uphill in his canter work.
Words cannot express how happy I am to have this lovely tool to help riders' education and protect horses' backs. I am delighted Paula invented the unit and I am eager to see as many riders as possible nationwide use and benefit from this educational aid, for their sake AND for the horses' sake!"
From Dressage Trainer and FEI Rider Cody Gavitt:
"The Unisit is fabulous! As I was improving myself and showing FEI, the Unisit gave me an understanding of how important my seat was, how to be independent and deep. It has also helped many of my students improve their riding, it gives them the feel they can carry over ride after ride after using the Unisit."
From Jacque Greif:
"Jo Anne was very excited to receive her Unisit. We tried the strap with one of her female students on a little quarter horse. According to Jo Anne she showed six months to a year's improvement in 15 minutes. Once in position she forgot about the knee placement, with balance the hands quieted and left the mouth alone, and the confidence rose to an all time high. She got her horse to do things that she could not do consistently, up to now.
Last evening Jo Anne put out a call for Level II student riders to come up to the Equestrian Center for an introduction to the Unisit. About 14 or 15 riders and 2 student instructors (CHA Cert.) showed up in the ice storm. Several rode several horses. We got to use it on smaller quarter horses, thoroughbreds, and warm bloods. Without fail - every student was elated. There were words of praise, astonishment, giggles and excitement, and predictions of future riding prowess because of the system. They were all astonished with how they rode after it was removed. It outdid my expectations."
From Gerrit-Claes Bierenbroodspot- former Head Instructor of the National Dutch School for Instructors and former trainer/coach of the Dutch Junior and Young Rider Event Team:
"In my over 30 years of training horses and riders, from Training Level to Grand Prix, I have never seen a more valuable training aid as the Unisit. It will teach the rider to sit with the horse and in rhythm. Also the rider will feel how the horse benefits from a seat which stays with the horse. If you want to be able to control the movements of the horse, you first have to be able to follow that movement! The Unisit teaches you what following the movement really means, no matter what level you are."
From Rider Donna Leonessa:
"My husband and I have owned our Unisit for over 10 years. We use it to help increase our body awareness on the horse. We love to introduce new riders to it. They are always amazed at how it helps them adjust their bodies to sit more in sync with their horses. The Unisit has a safety feature built into it that works. We have set it off several times when switching our whip from one hand to another! smiles."
From Dressage Judge/Trainer Eleanor Stine-Masek:
"My name is Eleanor Stine-Masek. I am a USDF "S" Dressage Judge, a USDF Bronze and Silver medalist and a lifelong student of the horse. I teach my adult amateurs who have experienced positive results from using the Unisit Strap.
The Unisit Strap is a very useful tool that helps the rider feel in balance with the horse's movement without tension. I have found that every horse moved more confidently and freely with the rider in the Unisit Strap because the rider was not interfering with their seat and legs. The riders were able to ALLOW the horse to move and still remain in a safe balance."
From Gold and Silver Medalist Pati Pierucci:
"My experience with the Unisit system has been very prompt. I originally purchased it for one client who needed some help with a big moving mare. It quickly became the hottest item in the barn. I found it gave everyone that used it a chance to feel the union of sitting in the horse's back and not just being a passenger. This is critical for collected work, sometimes we just need to feel these things to make the move to the next several levels. I recommend this for anyone who is looking for the jump to the next level in their riding, or just tired of trying it without stirrups."
From Dressage Trainer and Silver Medalist Tabitha Trisha Reed-Muller:
"I was so connected to the horse using the Unisit that I felt like a puppeteer that could literally pick up each one of her feet if I wanted to! It puts your body in a place where you can use all of your aids effectively. Riding for just a few minutes with the Unisit woke up certain muscles. I thought when I took it off, that connection would go away - but instead, that feeling of how to sit just right transfers to your riding when you remove it!"
From Rider Julisa Gomez:
"I tried the Unisit today on Jeriko and I really got the feeling on how I should sit the trot and it was amazing. We practiced my dressage test and he did very well and also extended trot to the extreme and that was so much fun. I didn't know Jeriko could go that fast. Now that I'm sitting correctly, Jeriko is more forward and smooth! I feel badly that my terrible seat has held back his athleticism. But now I can give it my all."
From Trainer Shea Johnson:
"Wow, the strap really put my rider in a great place! Once she just kind of let the strap do what it's supposed to and not brace against it, she really looked great! I'm hoping it will help her find her seat a bit and get stronger in her core! Wonderful product!"
From Rider Nissa Sjoberg:
"The tagline of the Unisit 'Change the Way You Ride,' is not just a catchy slogan it's the absolute truth. There is no other riding tool that will put you in the correct position the first time and every time. Riders of all ages and experience levels can benefit from the use of this training tool.
The brilliance of the Unisit is that it uses simple mechanics of the rider's body position and balance to influence the movement of the horse from the hindquarters, over the back, and into the rider's hands. It shines a spotlight on how much the rider's position enhances or interferes what the horse does. I've used it on all different breeds and movers, from Friesians to Warmbloods to Arabians; and the result is always the same: the horse relaxes and moves over its back, and the riders have their "Eureka!" moment - no matter how many times they've used it. To progress in training, it's so important for the rider to know what that feeling is supposed to be like in order to have any hopes of creating it and replicating it. The Unisit, when used correctly, will do that."
From Rider Catherine Enright:
“I’ve been riding for 30 years in other disciplines, but the seat required for dressage has eluded me. The Unisit finally puts my body where my trainer wants it to be. Without “showing” my body how to sit, it’s been difficult to find. Training with the Unisit allows my mind and my body to know how to sit and I can replicate it when the Unisit comes off. Amazing!”
From Rider Heidi Terezakis Fowler:
"The Unisit system has been life changing for me! I have struggled to find my balance and develop a better seat after an extreme weight loss and the purchase of a very forward, sensitive mare. During a clinic, the instructor used the Unisit system on me. My horse traveled better immediately and I was so much more stable through my core. I ordered one before I left the clinic. The Unisit keeps my legs and seat in the correct position, allowing me to find the correct feel. It’s a pretty amazing tool and I use it three to four days a week. Worth every penny!"
From Rider Beth Hyman:
“Within two strides of using the Unisit is was a light bulb moment. I could distinctly feel each hind leg in my seat bones. The connection was miraculous. I could feel exactly which ab muscles I was not utilizing enough. My plan is to use it consistently until I can get that feel to translate over to when I am strapless. I come from a hunter/jumper background and play a lot of polo. When I am concentrating hard I have a tendency to shift my pelvis and come up off my tack. It is so frustrating. I ride bareback and stirrupless on a lunge and can't seem to break the habit. I know what I am after and I understand the correct position, but couldn't quite get myself there. "