hornless

Hornless is an adjective describing an organism that lacks horns. In zoological and agricultural contexts, it is most often applied to animals that either never develop horns or have been bred to be without them. The term is frequently used for cattle, goats, and sheep, where hornlessness is known as polled. Polledness is a heritable trait arising from genetic variants; breeders can select for it to reduce injuries in farming systems. Some populations also use dehorning or disbudding to remove or prevent horn growth in horned individuals, a practice that raises welfare concerns and is regulated in various countries.

Biology: True horns are permanent structures present in many bovids, consisting of a bony core encased in a keratin sheath. In those species, hornlessness means the animal does not grow horns at all. By contrast, antlers—produced by deer and related species—are shed and regrown annually, and are not horns.

Outside domesticated animals, hornless can describe wild species or individuals lacking horns due to developmental variation or evolutionary traits.

Overall, hornlessness intersects with animal genetics, welfare policy, and animal management, reflecting breeding choices and welfare considerations rather than a single taxonomic group.