1 A2 neutral
To put a saddle on a horse in preparation for riding.
"The cowboy saddled up his horse before dawn and rode out to check the fences."
“
Saddle up your horses.
— Alabama, 'Song of the South' (1988)
separable
saddle up
B1 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To put a saddle on a horse in preparation for riding; figuratively, to prepare to begin a task or journey.
In plain English
To get ready to ride a horse, or to get ready to start something.
What does "saddle up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
To prepare oneself or a group for a task, journey, or challenge; to get ready to start something.
"All right, team — saddle up! We've got a long day of presentations ahead of us."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To put a saddle up onto a horse — mostly transparent.
Actually means
To get ready to ride a horse, or to get ready to start something.
Usage tip
The literal sense belongs to equestrian and cowboy contexts. The figurative sense is informal and evokes Western or adventurous imagery. 'Saddle up!' is often used as a rallying call.
Words that pair with "saddle up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
horse mount ride journey team crew
How to conjugate "saddle up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
saddle up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
saddles up
he/she/it
Past simple
saddled up
yesterday
Past participle
saddled up
have + pp
-ing form
saddling up
continuous
Hear "saddle up" in the wild
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