Putting Horse Health First: How SaddleFit Canada Is Responding to the Strangles Outbreak

At SaddleFit Canada, horse welfare has always come first — even when it means making hard decisions.

Due to the current strangles outbreak affecting multiple regions, I’ve made the decision to push back my January and February saddle fitting trips to March 10th and 11th. This was not a decision I made lightly, but it is the responsible one.

Strangles is highly contagious, and as a mobile saddle fitter traveling barn-to-barn, I have a duty to reduce any possible risk of transmission between horses, facilities, and regions. Waiting allows time for cases to resolve, barns to stabilize, and for fittings to be done more safely for everyone involved.

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Why This Matters

Strangles spreads easily through:

• Direct horse-to-horse contact

• Contaminated clothing, boots, tack, and equipment

• Hands, vehicles, and shared surfaces

Even with excellent hygiene, increased travel during an active outbreak raises risk. Pausing and rescheduling is one of the most effective biosecurity tools we have — and sometimes prevention means choosing when not to travel.

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What Will Be Different When Fittings Resume

When fittings resume in March, SaddleFit Canada will be operating under enhanced biosecurity protocols designed specifically for mobile saddle fitting and used tack handling.

These measures include:

Hand Hygiene

• Alcohol-based hand sanitizer used before and after every horse

• Hand sanitizing after last appointment at same barn

• Disinfectant wipes readily available throughout the day

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Equipment & Tool Disinfection

All fitting equipment will be disinfected between every barn, including:

• Saddles (panels, billets, flaps)

• Saddle pads and fitting pads

• Shims, gullet gauges, flexicurve and measuring tools

I will be using Prevail disinfectant, an accelerated hydrogen peroxide product effective against the bacteria that causes strangles, following proper cleaning and contact times.

Clean equipment will be stored separately from used equipment at all times.

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Clothing & Personal Biosecurity

• Washable outer layers worn during fittings

• Outer layers either changed or disinfected between barns

• Use of plastic bags or sealed bins to isolate worn or contaminated items

• No sitting on tack trunks, stall doors, or shared barn surfaces

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Boots & Vehicle Protocols

• Boots cleaned of debris and disinfected between barns

• Vehicle touch points disinfected daily, including:

  • Steering wheel

  • Door handles

  • Phone and keys

  • Equipment bins

The vehicle itself is treated as part of the biosecurity chain — not an afterthought.

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Used Tack Handling

Used saddles and tack are considered higher-risk items and will be:

• Handled after horse fittings whenever possible

• Kept in sealed, clearly separated containers

• Never placed on barn surfaces

• Cleaned and disinfected before storage or transport

Hands and clothing are sanitized immediately after handling used tack.

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What I Ask of Clients

If your barn has:

• A confirmed or suspected case of strangles

• Horses currently under quarantine

• Recent unexplained fevers, nasal discharge, or swollen lymph nodes

Please let me know before your appointment. Transparency protects everyone and allows us to reschedule if needed — without judgment.

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A Shared Responsibility

This approach isn’t about fear — it’s about leadership, professionalism, and care.

By postponing travel during the peak of the outbreak and implementing strict biosecurity when fittings resume, SaddleFit Canada is committed to:

• Protecting your horse

• Protecting your barn

• Protecting the wider equine community

Thank you for your patience, understanding, and shared commitment to horse health. I look forward to seeing you — safely — in March.

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Brigitte Mitchell
SaddleFit Canada