More falling... only off a horse this time!

First time I've hit the dirt in at LEAST 10 years, I believe, and the first on Cherokee (other than a boggled attempt at doing maneuvers I didn't understand when I pulled him over on me).  Which, is just another lesson in the fact that I can't ride more than about 50 minutes, or a mile and a half, without taking a break. As my body was protesting the fast pace of the ride last night, I thought I could just hold Cherokee back and wait for the riders to come back. He didn't want anything to do with it. My upper body gave out completely and I lost the ability to whoa him and school some with the lessons we'd learned to keep his head on what I was asking.  So, we were traveling at Cherokee's command. When I could no longer sit upright, and fell on the horn, Cherokee took that as a sign to canter and catch up with the group. Then I came off.  The other riders got Cherokee caught and me back on and the lady I trailered in with rode back towards to trailer with me.  All the horses seemed a little high headed with 16 riders on a ride this early in the season, so I really doubt it would have changed the outcome if she's stayed with us.  Cherokee also had his first time kicking back at a horse on a ride - before taking off with me.  Fine, but I was still having troubles with my body and we opted to stop and get me off on the south side of the road we'd come under while she went back to the trailer and called one of our husbands to come get me. In the mean time, I waited until the trail ride came back to where I was sitting. One of the riders (on a gorgeous Morgan!) knew my trailer friend and had spoken to her on the phone and said her husband was coming, but, it'd be good if we could get me back on and to the road. SO, back in a saddle I went.  So thankful for the nice gentle man who hoisted my malfunctioning body up into the saddle twice!  Anyway, they got my 'dumped off' on the other side of the bridge by the road ('no, I don't want to be closer to the road to wait' - did I mention that my T-shirt caught on the saddle horn as I came off?!) and I waited again, this time for the truck with my friend's husband.  He came and picked me up - not literally, because my legs were mostly working again my then.  Lesson learned for the MSer who'd prefer not to make accommodations and inconvenience people (after she got fired for trying that with her job); once you know your body's limitations, speak them before riding out with a group of people and see if they're willing to do what you need, and if not - go home.  Too bad I didn't realize how 100% needed my rest periods were before I had to eat dirt, and I KNOW me coming off was more of an inconvenience than if I'd just spoke up before we rode out!  Some things (people?) seem to have to be learned (learn) the hard way though.