The fall from the horse is quick. The decision to ride again takes days. Give yourself those days.

The event lasts a second and the aftermath takes much longer, a mismatch that makes people feel they are overreacting. They are not. Going back requires something different from courage in the moment, a slower kind of nerve that gathers at its own speed. Pressing yourself to feel ready by the afternoon usually pushes the date further out.

Set a date a few days ahead rather than deciding in the moment or waiting indefinitely. In between, be around the thing without doing it, which helps more than talking yourself into it. If the days turn into weeks, say so to somebody who could go with you.