Sheep are stoic prey animals that mask pain effectively. Developing reliable pain assessment tools is essential for improving their welfare in farm and veterinary settings.
Pain recognition in sheep has historically been poor, leading to systematic under-treatment of painful conditions and insufficient analgesia for routine procedures. The stoic nature that allowed sheep to survive predation now works against their welfare in farm settings where visible pain would trigger appropriate care. Scientific development of validated pain assessment tools — particularly facial expression coding systems — has provided farmers and vets with practical ways to identify suffering that was previously invisible. Training programs that build stockperson skills in recognising subtle pain signs have demonstrated measurable improvements in analgesic use and welfare outcomes. Regulatory frameworks in several countries now require pain relief for certain procedures, but enforcement and veterinary training need strengthening.