Idiom: back in the saddle

Meaning

Idiom: back in the saddle

Doing something that you had stopped doing for a while.

Notes:

This phrase is often used when someone starts doing a job or activity again after taking a break.

What's a saddle? Good question!

A saddle is a seat that is fastened on a horse or other animal to help the rider sit comfortably and also to help the rider stay balanced when riding.

Most people think of putting saddles on horses or ponies but they are also often used to ride donkeys, camels, bulls and other large animals.

When people ride without a saddle, it's called riding "bare back" or "bareback riding." When something is "bare" it means there is no clothing or covering on it.

Bareback riding is much more difficult than riding with a saddle. A person needs a lot of skill, balance, and coordination using their legs and core strength to be able to stay on the horse control its movements.

Example sentences

— I started working out at the gym again and it feels great to be back in the saddle.

— Don’t worry, it’s just an ankle sprain—you’ll be back in the saddle playing tennis in a couple of weeks.

— My daughter was busy her senior year and took a break from photography for a year, but now she's back in the saddle.

— After a year-long sabbatical, the professor was back in the saddle and feeling excited about some new ideas for research.

— I used to complain about going back to work every Monday after the weekend but I am so relieved to be back in the saddle with a new job after being unemployed for six months.

— I thought the CEO retired but he decided to get back in the saddle after just three months.

— The writer was back in the saddle, working on her new novel after a period of writer's block.

— During my month-long vacation, my fiancé and I broke up so I'm actually happy to be back in the saddle at work on Monday.

— My wife took a break from painting for a year, but now that she's back in the saddle she feels happy to paint again.

— I'm finally back in the saddle and studying again after finishing my gap year in Tanzania.

— I'm actually eager to get back in the saddle after the summer holidays.

— We are relieved our quarterback is back in the saddle after being injured for the past three games.

— Did you hear the band Blink-182 is back in the saddle, touring again after a break for several years?

— My roommate is really nervous to be back in the saddle and driving again after her car accident.

Synonyms

back in the game
back on the horse
back at the helm
back on track
back in the swing of things
back to business
back in action

So, when is the last time you got back in the saddle? Many English students do not study regularly so they have to constantly try to get back in the saddle again. I recommend that you study for a small period of time each day and then you won't have to make such a huge effort to get back in the saddle each time.

If you're looking for an easy way to learn some common English idioms, then you'll love our illustrated idioms eBook. Every idiom has an image to help you remember the phrase more easily. There are also several sentence examples so you can see the phrase used in context.

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Idiom: back in the saddle

Meaning

Example sentences

Synonyms

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