The freezebrand

“What’s that mark on their neck? It looks hieroglyphics.” Is a question asked by most folks unfamiliar with wild Mustangs and burros..

Those marks are known as the freezebrand. An alpha-angle system used by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to identify each individual animal taken from the range. Each brand is unique and identifies the year (estimated) of the animals birth and the Herd Management Area (HMA) the animal was gathered from, along with a serial number.

Freeze Brand

by Andrea Bassett

That white mark means he is Strong.
His hooves don’t need shoes, his lungs create the wind, and his legs will last forever.
He has survived the tests of time.

That white mark means he is Brave.
He has overcome unbelievable fears to become my friend.
He will do anything I ask because he trusts that I will not let him get hurt.
He is always willing to try.

That white mark means he is Loyal.
He could kill me if he wanted to, but he yields to my wishes.
He could jump the fence or throw me on the trail and return to the wild,
But I know I can trust him to take care of me.

That white mark means he is Wise.
He turns to face his fears to decide which ones are worth running from.
He has taught me more of his language than I have taught him mine.
He remembers everything.

That white mark means he belongs to Mother Nature.
Those shapes are his birth certificate and his social security number.
No one can steal him from me, but she created him, and he is hers.
He would rather be in the forest than in the barn.

That white mark means he is Freedom.
He reminds me every now and then that he doesn’t have to let me halter him.
But he usually does anyway.

That white mark means he is America.
He is the land that he ran across, and his veins hold history.
He is a Living Legend.

©April 2005 Andrea Bassett 
All Rights Reserved