Sheep have traditionally been considered stoic animals resistant to pain, a view increasingly contradicted by evidence showing their sensitivity to and experience of pain.
Sheep are prey animals that suppress pain behaviour even more strongly than cattle, leading to chronic underrecognition of pain by stockpeople. Research using validated pain assessment tools including the sheep grimace scale shows that sheep experience pain from lameness, mastitis, and surgical procedures at intensities comparable to those in other species. Despite this, analgesic use in sheep production remains far below what the evidence warrants. The welfare gap is particularly pronounced for chronic conditions including footrot and mastitis, which may persist for weeks without treatment. Improved stockmanship training in ovine pain recognition represents a high-impact welfare intervention.