Savvy Savvy!

Last week Virpi and I flew to the Parelli Natural Horsemanship center in Pagosa Springs, Colorado for the annual Savvy conference. Pagosa Springs (elevation 7079) is a small town (population 1607) known of it's natural mineral hot springs. It is a spiritual place with a rich history beginning with the Anasazi Indians and later the Utes, Navajos and Apaches. It was believed that the hot springs had curative powers. The native Americans called it Pagosah, "Healing Waters," (from an Ute word meaning healing) and the great Spring became a sacred place of peace and healing.

If you'd like to read more about it go to http://www.pagosahotsprings.com/

I called the Parelli headquarters for a permission to post photos.

The Parelli ranch is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I have ever been to. You can feel the spirit of God and mother nature all around you as you walk up to the "big top," covered arena overlooking the sloping green pastures, the most beautiful view framed by the often snow caped Rocky mountains. It's fantastic to meet and talk to people that are on the same page with you as far as horsemanship. You see happy faces everywhere, all pulled together by the same invisible strings, the love for our horses, that was so strong it humbled us down to understand, that it was our selfish human point of views, that needed to chance, not the horse. You could not detect any frustration on the faces of the savvy team playing with their horses, even when things didn't go quite as planned. only the knowing smile of understanding, that things in life hardly ever go exactly as planned, and the knowledge of how to re-adjust and fix the situation.

It was a pleasure to watch and learn from all the people there. they have so much savvy and all of their horses seem so happy and peaceful.

(above)"Zeus" Pat's new friesian.

(Left)Carol Coppinger (5 star instructor)and her horse Ranger in Spanish walk

"Allure" Linda's beautiful left brain extrovert in action (right)

Linda Parelli in harmony with "Remmer"

Walter Zettl, one of the most accomplished masters of classical dressage, whom Linda takes dressage lessons from Says: “My first impression upon arriving at the Parelli ranch was the deep love, understanding and respect Pat and Linda have for their horses." (click the link to read more about Walter.)

"I smell gold" Says Pat when Lauren rides transitions from extended to collected trot. Lauren and River are heading for the 2008 paralympics in China. She rides so beautifully, that one could never tell she is paralysed from the waist down.

Soon to be famous Katie Drake entertained us on the breaks. Loved her songs so much I bought the CD and got it autographed by Katie.

Virpi and I with Pat Parelli

Virpi and I with Linda Parelli.

Pat cutting with Magic.

Well, we had amazing time and learned so much more, as always with the Parellis. Pat and Linda are the most wonderful people I have ever met, and they are spreading their spirit around the world.

The clouds from above.

Travieso's story

So many people have been asking about Travieso, my best friend Raul's horse, he bough in January of 2007. Well, here it is, his story finally.
For those of you that don't know, "Get it Rollin'" (which turned out to be a catchy name for my blog) is the registered name of Travieso. Nayeli nick-named him in the car on the way back from Fresno, Ca. as we were towing him home to Half Moon Bay, and he proved to be true to his new nick name "Travieso'" which is a Spanish word for mischievous.
"Get it Rollin'" is a son of the great "Chick's Beduino" one of the leading studs for racing quarter horses, who is no longer living, but whose frozen semen is still sold today for TEN THOUSAND dollars.
Travieso turned 4 years last February and already has a successful racing career behind him.
He is not only big and beautiful, but he is one of the sweetest and smartest horses we have known.



Armando used to mainly ride and exercise him.









But he is quite a lovely ride so sometimes I got on him too.







He would often lay down in his paddock and let me sit with him.




On June 11Th Travieso was showing signs of colic for which he received an injection of Banamine into the neck muscle by a ranch personnel. Banamine (flunixin meglumine)comes in an injectable form for intravenous or intramuscular use. However, as we learned from our vet later, It should only be given intramuscularly in a very extreme cases. It can also be given orally in the paste or granule forms. Banamine is in the same category of drugs as aspirin and phenylbutazone (bute). They are all nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Banamine is a prescription drug. Many horse owners keep it on hand because it is an effective medication for colic. It relieves pain, and in some of the more serious cases of colic, fights some of the dangerous toxins that may be released from the intestinal system into the bloodstream. No one knows why Banamine has this anti-endotoxic effect.
The day after his banamine shot, Travieso's neck started to swell. Raul, advised by the ranch manager, hosed it with cold water and gave him bute.
The next day the swelling was worse, reaching to his chest. Raul repeated the care from the day before. Yet the day after the swelling had reached his front legs. They were like nothing short from elephant legs and he could not move more than a half an inch at a time dragging his front legs. Now he looked like one of those stuffed horses with a HUGE head and a tiny hind end. I had NEVER seen anything like that. (I don't know why, and totally regret, that we don't have any photos of this stage.) Raul called the vet. Travieso was having the worst kind of reaction to the Banamine injection. The vet pumped him full of DMSO. And for a few days he stunk so badly, I could not bare to be near him. Thank God for Raul and his ability to deal with the most horrific things. He applied a warm compress twice daily.
Slowly the swelling started to subside oozing through his skin. If you pressed on the swelled up muscle, your fingerprints would stay on it. A week after, Travieso still rather swelled up, started to feel itchy and scratched himself until his chest popped open. We called the vet immediately.
Travieso received a large dose of steroids along with antibiotics to be given daily for a week. The vet advised us to keep it clean by hosing with clean water twice daily. There was nothing more to do at that point. He couldn't be sown back together since most of the skin seemed dead and would most likely fall off anyway. I couldn't believe it. I did not think this poor horse was ever going to make it through with a open fleshy chest and neck without getting an infection and having to be put to sleep. Raul and I looked at each other not saying a word, but both thinking the same thing. Travieso's days were numbered. The first photo was taken June 23rd. Four days after it popped open. Raul kept on working hard, doing exactly as the vet had told and keeping the wound clean. And week by week it seemed to slowly be getting better.
And the healing process has been amazing!






June 29Th.













July 7Th.









July 29Th.











August 9Th.

September 1st.




Through the whole time, almost, Travieso has been lively and in good spirits with a real will to make it through this. I call him our "Super horse." I keep in touch with the vet by e-mail weekly, sending him photos, and he is coming for regular vaccines and a check up at the end of this month. We will be discussing a possible skin craft operation. I will keep up with updates here as well.
Isn't he amazing horse!

Ride to Cameron's Inn

Last Sunday we planned a ride with Ronda and Penny. Ronda was very sweet to bring Virpi a horse to ride, Prince, whose owner is not able to ride any longer, and whom Virpi fell in love with immediately. I was suppose to ride Joe, another one of Ronda's horses, but after a quick body check concluded, that his back was sore and didn't feel right about riding him, so I borrowed Faith (Tom's horse) from Armando, who had just saddled her to ride. Faith seemed quite content to be switched from Armando's heavy Mexican saddle to my light English one with an air pad and all. She felt so good and styling, that she was walking ahead of everyone on the way out as well as on the way back.

We rode to Cameron's restaurant, hitched the horses and sat on the outside table for lunch.

The weather was totally grabby, cold, drizzly fog, but it did not dull our mood. It felt great to be on a horse again with good company and good food. And Faith is such a lovely ride. What an awesome relaxing, leisurely Sunday.

Of course Virpi and I hardly had time for our own horses afterwards, which definitely showed on their disappointed faces. And I felt guilty for spending the day with another horse after we stuck Madeira and Steal back into their stalls after only a 15 min. walk. But Faith, who lives just one stall down from Madeira, seemingly beamed while she stood sticking her head over the fence of her paddock, and patiently waited for her after ride treats. On the way out I slipped her a few peppermints and thanked her for a fun day.

Faith waiting patiently for her after ride treats.

Moving forward.

Although Madeira and Steal live right next to each other they still need that intimate closeness at times, so when Steal was completely stall bound we let Madeira visit him in his stall. She was like a little girl who didn't want to go home from her play date afterwards.

Steal is doing much better now. He seems to really enjoy going for his walks, which is now 10 minutes twice a day. He walks happy and proud. Although to his great annoyance we fitted him with a muzzle so not to take any chances of him eating since his diet must be very strict from now on. On Saturday Joe and I put Steal, Madeira and Sunrise in to the round corral and had them all walk around for ten minutes. Head to tail they walked like a line of elephants.

Last week I finally got on Madeira for the first time in 9 months. Only for a few minutes after our playing session, bareback and bridle less, and she walked around so perfectly tuned into me, that I was virtually surprised how easy it was to direct her with solely my seat. I was ecstatic as Raul rode by wrangling out a group of customers, and gave me a million dollar smile.

Later he wanted to know how I had the guts to get on Madeira like that, you know without a saddle and bridle, when no one has ridden her for such a long time. Wasn't I scared that she was going to buck me off?

Oh boy, I thought. The normal assumptions that horses will forget and go crazy if they aren't worked and worked and worked. And further, that I would do it without preparing her well on the ground first. To get into harmony with her. Set up for success!!!

But it isn't easy for people to understand if they aren't used to reading horses enough to determine whether it is OK to proceed or whether to retreat. So I told Raul that I simply asked Madeira if she would like to carry me today and she said, "well why not." So I got on. (Raul thinks I'm a bit loony.)

Since then I have gotten on Madeira couple more times for a short while and even trotted around a bit. It's not much, but we are on our way to riding again and slower the better to ensure her leg will hold.

Rodeo fun!

Mikko and I went to the Driscoll ranch rodeo in La Honda, Ca. Last weekend. It is a small town rodeo and lots of fun. What we learned was that the real bull riders start at the age of as young as three, riding sheep. Yes, real woolly sheep. The kid is lifted on the sheep's back in the bull shoot, then they open the shoot and the sheep runs out as the kid hangs on for dear life until finally falls right under the sheep's feet. I was totally astonished about what cow people do with their kids. Then when the kids are I think ten and older they ride steer. It's just like real bull riding, only with little bulls and little cowboys. And those steer, man, they buck hard. So that's how they teach the cowboys to grow up tough. At some point in their late teens, I guess, they start riding big bulls.

It is very interesting, that the bulls life journey in the rodeo circuit is similar to the cowboys. They start by being roped as calves, then they are used in steer wrestling and, apparently, steer riding for little cowboys, and then for real bull riding... until they end up on someones dinner plate.

Mikko and I decided to try this bull riding ourselves. See the video clip! Mikko actually did very well on the bull. Me, however... well, you could say, that I'm lacking some serious muscle power in my legs.

I have to lift my hat for those cowboys, this stuff demands some serious skill and athletic ability. (Although I did cheer more for the bulls, I think they did awesome job bucking off cowboys.)

It was a fun day! And Mikko looked very handsome in a cowboy hat.

Lessons to be learned

Here is our photo that won a third place in the "Savvy times" photo contest last year.

Madeira is nearly ready to play like before her injury. I’m still not riding, although there is no reason why I couldn't start slowly, but as you all know I’m always just a little more careful than I really need to. She also will not be jumping for at least another 6 months, but she has come a long way and is doing very well. See it for yourself from the little video clip “Mikko playing with Madeira.”

Mikko is my brother who is visiting us from Finland. He knows very little about horses and has never played with one before. But they both (him and Madeira) were good sports and Madeira played along although this is quite elementary stuff for her by now and at times she looks a bit bored.
Check it out! (And remember, after you click on the video clip, scroll back up to the top, since the clip will show at the very top of the blog.)

So it has been a long road to recovery with Madeira, but one that has really paid off in building our relationship. We all know how important it is to just hang out with our horses, without doing anything, or asking anything of them. “Horses love the art of doing nothing.” (Linda Kohanov.) But I never realized HOW MUCH this time spent doing nothing would deepen Madeira’s trust towards me. See, I used to think that when you want a horse to perform a certain way, you have to work, and work at it. But now I really understand that it IS NOT about the task. It is about TRUST!
All those times that we sat on the grass while our horses grazed, and Joe, Virpi and I complained to each other, that there we were just launching, getting nothing done, as we all felt that we were suppose to be working on our levels tasks. We didn’t realize, that we were achieving something much more valuable. Our horse’s trust.
This was just one of the light bulbs that have gone on in my head in the recent years. Here is the whole story.
Two summers ago, when I was starting my second level of “Parelli Natural Horsemanship” and one of the tasks was to play the seven games with a “flag,” (which simply means to tie a plastic bag to the end of a carrotstick,) I used to get incredibly frustrated, because Madeira would absolutely freak out about the plastic bag. Well, although by that point her freaking out was more like “phase one” freaking, instead of the wild rearing beast, that she used to be. She rather turned away going into sort of a locked up state, “introverted,” where she could escape my intentions with the big bad horse eating plastic bag. And I worked, and worked, and worked at it. Approach and retreat. Approach, more retreat. And although I realized, that she was not actually afraid of the bag itself, but the ruffling sound, that it made, it seemed that by the end of the summer we had not advanced in this task at all. Each time the “flag” game out, we were right back to square one. I eventually gave up, in frustration, because IT DIDN'T WORK!
And the winter came along. Rain, cold and wind. Seemed like the mud covered everything. How it got from our boots to our faces, I have no idea, but we didn’t exactly feel like playing. All winter long we huddled within the over sized hoods of our rain coats that covered us all the way down to the top of our rain boots. We coiled up the leadropes, so they wouldn’t drag in the mud, and walked to the nearest fresh patch of green, that grew faster than our horses could eat it.
At the dawn of the spring as the ground dried up we kept to our leisurely routine, only now we could sit down on the grass while the horses grazed.
Then one day in the early summer we decided, that it was time to start playing. And when I pulled out the “flag” Madeira was a completely different horse. It was as if a switch had been turned off in her head and it no longer blinked “danger.”
I was dumbfounded! I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I could touch her with the ruffling bag all over her body, pull it over her head, and she never even flinched. Just stood there calm and confident, trusting, that I was not going to hurt her. Amazing feeling!
It was one of those crucial times that I realized, that it didn’t matter if I was using the correct tools and techniques, if I hadn’t won her trust first! I had to take the time to prove to her, that I was trustworthy.
I could see how easy it would have been to give up stating, that this Parelli stuff didn’t really work, and slip right back to the old traditional way of handling and riding horses. (At least we could have saved ourselves from being ridiculed by the “normal” people.)
Thank God I never gave up! Now I’m in a place where I care more what my horse thinks about me, than what other people do. And I know that my horse will thank me forever.

Destiny and Sneaker

I didn't get to the ranch until later on Saturday morning after spending Friday night at the bookstore. It was the "Grand Hollows Ball" in honor of the release of the last "Harry Potter" book. The book went on sale at the stroke of midnight and thanks to my husband going there at 9am that morning to get me a number to stand in line, I was one of the first in line and walked out with my new "Harry Potter and the deathly hollows" just quarter after midnight. Then of course I stayed up reading it for another hour.

Anyway, I've been talking about turning Sneaker and Destiny out together for awhile thinking surely they would get along since they are neighbours and often when I turn Sneaker out Destiny calls and calls after her. So FINALLY yesterday I decided to try it out and sure enough, they were GREAT! They seem very compatible, comfortable with each other and relaxed.

Baby Layla visits the ouside world

Two weeks ago was the first time I put a halter on the baby (since she is getting a bit big for the rope harness and the pony halter is now little less too big) She is amazingly smart. She has learned very quickly to give to pressure instead of pushing against it and after playing with her the right way it wasn't any problem leading her with the halter for the first time. So for the past couple weeks we have been taking walks with momma and baby on lead around the ranch. Baby is very curious about the "outside" world, but it is a little scary too. We walked up the driveway towards the back gate where Cruiser and Fire from the boarder pasture came to say hi. Everyone loves the baby! And she knows it. She trots by with her little curly tail in the air saying look at me I'm so pretty! And she is. (Reminds me of someone... Madeira.)

Manes flowing and tails held high...

Something was in the air the other weekend. Sneaker (white) and Little-Joe (bay) played youthfully in the arena just after they had seen momma and baby run wild. When I went to bring them back in intending to take Little-Joe first, Sneaker, who usually is very good pushed herself through the arena gate before I could close it before her, and ran to eat grass on the other side of the fence. It's a good thing she stays around and comes when called! But even better thing is that Little-Joe knows to stop behind me, because when Sneaker pushed herself through the arena gate, it swung open hitting the two barrels standing behind it, which made a horrifying, horse-eating sound that spooked Little -Joe nearly on top of me. Well, it all ended just fine, thanks to the owners teaching these horses trust and respect towards humans (two of the most important things in the horse and human relationship.) I caught Sneaker with Little-Joe in tow and they both came in quietly.

A bit of history

This is a portrait of the Godolphin Arabian by John Wootton 1731. He is said to be one of the forefathers of all horses and Madeira is in the 25th generation of his descendants. (I can totally see the resemblance.)

"Few horses have as much legend associated with them as does the Godolpin Arabian. He had a small head on a well arched and crested neck, was short-backed with tremendous quarters and a high-set tail. He had great bone, action, and a fiery temperament. He was described as a brown bay ("with reddish mottle"), about 15 hands high (one source says 14.2h.) with some white on the off hind heel. He was said to be small, but that his get usually stood taller. His constant companion was the cat, Grimalkin.

The stallion was probably one of several presented as tribute to the King of France by the Bey of Tunis. While in France he was described by Vicomte de Manty, who said his name was Shami, that he was beautifully-made although "half starved", with a headstrong temperament that made him unloved among the barn staff.

He was imported from France in 1729 by Mr. Edward Coke, a gentleman with personal connections in France, especially with the Duke of Lorraine. The Duke of Lorraine, later Emperor Francis I of Germany, also figures in the history of the Belgrade Turk. Sir Marmaduke Wyvill, brother-in-law of Edward Coke, purchased the Belgrade Turk from the Duke and brought him to England. It can be presumed that Coke acquired the Godolphin Arabian via the French court, possibly from the Duke himself.

Mr. Coke brought the Arabian to England and stood him at his recently purchased Longford Hall in Derbyshire; in Coke's stud book he is referred to as "ye Arabian." The official story of the Arabian, later known as Lord Godolphin's, begins in 1731, when he covered Mr. Coke's Roxana, (ch.f. 1718) by the Bald Galloway, who was bred by Sir William Strickland. The following spring, Roxana foaled a bay colt by the Arabian, named Lath, who was said to be "a very elegant and beautiful horse," and who was later sold to the Duke of Devonshire.

Coke died in August, 1733 at the young age of 32. In his will, he left his small group of mares and foals, including Roxana and Lath, to a personal friend and fellow horseman, Francis, the second Earl of Godolphin, son of the controversial figure, Sidney, the first Earl. His stallions, including the Arabian, Whitefoot, and Hobgoblin, were left to another friend, Roger Williams. In 1733, the Earl acquired the Arabian from Williams, which is how the horse became known as the Godolphin Arabian. He was moved to the Earl's stud near Babraham in the Gog Magog Hills in Cambridgeshire, not far from the racing town of Newmarket. Lord Godolphin's mansion lay within the boundaries of the Iron Age fort known as Wandlebury Ring. The mansion was leveled in 1956, but the stables and other buildings remain on site

The Godolphin Arabian died in 1753 at an advanced age estimated to be 29 years (presuming he was a mature stallion of five or six upon his arrival in England). A solemn ceremony was performed at gravesited and he was laid to rest under a gateway at the stable. A stone slab was placed over his grave with an inscription noting who lay underneath. This gravesite is still in existence inside the archway of the stable block within the building complex inside Wandlebury Ring."

Searching back Madeira's bloodlines the earliest horse I found was "Fairfax's Morocco Barb" 1633. Imported from Morocco for Charles first in 1637.

The earliest imported stallion registered in the GSB (general stud book.)

I vacationed in Morocco with my family when I was twelve and got to ride a Barb horse.

Steal's misfortune

So on Monday the vet came for Steal and confirmed Virpi's worst worries. Steal has Laminitis.

Laminitis (AKA Fouder) is basically inflammation of the sensitive laminae which holds the coffin bone in the hoof capsule. It is caused by lack of oxygen due to decreased blood flow to the laminae. This can destroy the laminar tissue and cause the coffin bone to rotate, "drop."

Laminitis is most commonly caused by high sugar intake eg rich grasses or grains that cause the stomach wall to release endotoxins which ultimately cause the blood vessel contraction. But it can also be caused by acute infections, problems after foaling, or a large intake of cold water before properly cooling down a horse after exercise (where such endotoxins can be released), excessive weight bearing, or a localised hoof abscess.

Steal became lame first on June 9Th. Of course the exact day that we were away in Sacramento at the Horse Expo. Beverly, who was looking after our "babies"found him barely able to walk and called Virpi immediately.

The farrier came the following week and assuming it was an abscess he packed the R.F. hoof with Ichtamol and put a shoe and a pad on. And for balance he shod the L.F. too. We gave him bute for a few days and he seemed better. And then last week as we stopped giving him bute, he was much worse.

Virpi had a natural hoof care specialist, whom I use to trim Madeira, come and pull those shoes, (didn't seem like shoes had been a good idea in the first place) but Steal was not getting better.

So the vet whom Virpi had been talking to in a phone for the past couple of weeks, said it would be a good idea to x-ray.

There is no rotation of the coffin bone yet (thank God)according to Steal's x-rays, and we must hope that with lots of rest, the right medication and change of diet he will recover.

The cause of steal's laminitis is not certain. It may have started with an abscess which could have weakened the laminar attachment, although we really never found the abscess, (but it doesn't mean there wasn't one.) It could be the alfalfa. We had just gotten a new load of what seemed like very rich and hot, leafy stuff right before it all started. And of course Steal is a bit overweight, which is a good base for laminitis, and we have been grazing a lot lately.

I have to add, that I saw Candy, the little pony laying down in her stall just a few weeks ago and as I went in to check her I found, that she was suffering from a case of laminitis.

Candy has had laminitis before, and after Raul switched her from alfalfa to oat hey she is feeling better.

So it seems that Madeira and Steal are going to spent the summer in a stall afterall. We stopped weaning Madeira back into alfalfa, her diet will remain mainly grass hay, and I will keep getting my money's worth as I pay Raul to exercise Madeira daily.

Well... with a big sigh, that's all for today.

Trouble with Travieso

Here is Travieso enjoying his daily wash. (Snapped the photo from a perfect angle to not show the enormous, ugly wound.)

On Saturday I let him out into the arena as Raul has been doing during the week. He immediately lay down and seemed to show some classic signs of colic. So I checked for gut sounds, temperature and gum colour, which all seemed fair for his current condition. I made a warm bran mash and he barely sniffed it. I got really worried. As he lay down I sat next to his head and massaged his head and ears hitting all the acupressure points I knew of that may help for colic. He really enjoyed it. Seemed he fell asleep. And then suddenly his eyes went white and he started kicking and twitching as if he was having a seizure. It freaked me out! It lasted for no more than 5 seconds and as I was ready to run for help he just got up and followed me. It was mind boggling. Had he just had a seizure? Or did I put him to sleep and he had a horsey dream about running on the beach? He lay down again and I sat down with him and continued to massage. After about twenty minutes he got up and seemed to feel better. He wanted his bran, ate it all and was perfectly normal.

I don't know what to make out of that.

On Sunday he was in good spirits, or as good as he can be in his condition. But I noticed as I turned him out into the arena that he was eating sand. Not just licking it little bit, but taking bites of it with his teeth and munching mouth fulls. Raul mentioned seeing him do that last week.

This could possibly have caused a problem in the intestine, although sand colic is far more serious than and impaction and I'm not sure any acupressure would help for it, but if sand had anything to do with Travieso's Saturday episode I sure hope the Phsyllium I mixed into his bran will do it's trick and push out the sand.

I'm e-mailing photos and updates for his vet weekly to monitor his healing progress. We really like this vet, he has been an excellent help.

Patriotic horses!

Happy 4Th of July To all!

We had fun watching the parade in Half moon Bay, lots of familiar faces in there. Me, a brand new citizen proudly waving an American flag.

And of course we had our own little celebration with Steal and Madeira afterwards. They were good sports with their hats and scarfs.

Steal is still lame. What a timing. Now that Madeira would be almost ready to go out into the pasture Steal is laid up. And we certainly cannot separate them. So more stall time for both. I think they are more or less used to their stalls and don't mind as long as they can be right next to each other. But we would rather have them out in the pasture so they could move around and act like real horses as opposed to some sort of caged up zoo animals.

Here they are all patriotic and proud to be American!

One busy weekend

We left everything for the last minute again and were totally scrambling to prepare for the nearing 4th of July parade in Half Moon Bay.
And then on Sunday Morning Steal turned up lame!
Oh well, our 4th of July plans quickly changed from a hustle bustle early morning to be IN the parade to a sleep in, relaxing sit down coffee shop breakfast before going to WATCH the parade. We really don't mind. There is always next year.
Our trimmer guy came just this morning to check Steals foot and give a treatment plan. Steal is going to be fine.

We took a short walk on the trail with Madeira and then visited baby Layla who was turned out in the small arena. Here is Madeira greeting Layla, who looks like Madeira's little "mini-me."