Nyx’s freeze brand, a hallmark of all BLM horses, is not just pure ornamentation. It actually acts as a unique identifier, and grants a bit of a window into his background. It tells us that he was born in 2006, and that he came from a herd in Oregon. Further investigation tells us that he is from the Beatys Butte herd management area, a dry, desert landscape around 65 miles east of Lakeview, Oregon, rather close to the California and Nevada borders. Horses from this herd management area (HMA) are of varying size, ranging from 14–16 hands, and there are traces of everything from Spanish mustang to draft-type breeds in their gene pools, the latter of which would explain Nyx’s stature.