Introducing the polled (hornless) trait through selective breeding or gene editing offers the most welfare-positive long-term solution to the pain of dehorning in cattle. Dehorning - removing or preventing horn growth in dairy and beef cattle to reduce injury risk - causes acute pain equivalent to castration and, without analgesia, represents significant welfare harm affecting millions of cattle annually. Polled genetics eliminate the need for dehorning entirely. The polled allele exists in all major cattle breeds but has been selected against in high-production animals due to historical linkage with lower performance genes. Introgression of polled genetics into elite dairy lines using marker-assisted selection is progressing rapidly: polled Holstein bulls are now commercially available. CRISPR gene editing to introduce the Celtic polled variant has been demonstrated in Angus and Holstein cattle, raising regulatory questions in different jurisdictions. Widespread adoption of polled genetics could eliminate dehorning welfare harm within 15-20 years.