I know this is not the same, but I was hurt in a cart accident. And after almost 5 years now, still in major pain because of the damaged caused.
Granted it was not a horse that hurt me, but I became scared to ride a horse. Scared of getting hurt even more and ending up in a wheel chair.
I did not ride at first, sold my 16 hand appy, and three Icelandic mares. Took me 2 years to be brave enough to try ride again. What I found out is I lost all the natural balance I had, my muscles wouldn't work like I knew they used too. The knowledge was still there, but nothing else seemed to want to work.
I tried riding off and on since then. Only in the last 1 year am I really riding.
First I started taking baby steps, maybe 5 to 10 minutes on my horse in the round pen on my brave days. After a few months I moved out to the 2 acrea pasture, now I ride out in the big 10 acre pasture I have. The horses know these pastures, so I feel ok about riding out there. I am slowly improving my nerve, and my mucles. I will never have the natural ability I used to have before the car accident.
But the glorious feeling of being able to even ride on my own Farm is very hard to put into words.
Of course, now I hurt my knee, again, not horse related. I haven't ridden in the last couple of weeks. But I now have a brace on, I will be riding next week.
I am not ready to leave the property yet,, maybe someday.
So in my long winded way, what I am saying is, IT is possible to ride again by finding the right horse, taking baby steps, riding where you feel the most safe, and not letting anyone push you along faster than you want to go.
(riding in a sercure suede seated Aussie, western or edurance saddle)