saddle someone with

saddle (one) with (someone or something)

To force one to deal with someone or something that proves to be a great burden. Why do you always saddle yourself with so much school work? Take fewer classes and enjoy yourself a little! The boss has saddled me with a new intern from the local college. The economic crash has saddled millions of people with debts they'll likely never pay off.
See also: saddle
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

saddle someone with

Burden someone with, as in Before he left on vacation, he saddled his assistant with many tasks he hadn't time to do himself . [Late 1600s]
See also: saddle, someone
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • saddle (one) with (someone or something)
  • saddle with
  • saddled with
  • let (someone or oneself) in for
  • let in for
  • let oneself in for
  • catch a Tartar
  • it (only/just) goes to show (you)
  • in the saddle
  • saddle an animal up
References in periodicals archive
QUITTING to set up his own publishing firm - even writing two of Britain's Eurovision Song Contest entries - Stuart eventually joined the Danish Mega Records as their London boss before Virgin Books, keen to have in the saddle someone with comprehensive music business contacts, offered him a job, impressed with his coterie of chums like Simon Fuller - founder of the Spice Girls - who'd been a Chrysalis scout.
Rock and roll lifestyle now brought to book; Lew Baxter discovers that ex-Mojo Stuart Slater, Virgin's celebrity bookmeister, has a star-spangled past of his own