The pictured bighorn sheep’s horn looks seriously busted up. Horn damage like this isn’t super rare in rams. During the rut, fighting rams slam heads at startling speeds. This can lead to their horns cracking, chipping, or even partially breaking. But they aren’t just fragile weapons; they are also growth structures. Rams’ horns grow from a bony core wrapped in a keratin sheath, and if that gets damaged past a certain point, it often never fully recovers.
Disease can also be a culprit. Pneumonia, for example, has been shown to stunt horn growth. Bighorn rams exposed to it may see 12–35% less annual horn growth and even a 3–13% reduction in overall horn length. Over time, repeated infections or injury can cause malformed or broken horns, especially if the horn’s base or growth tissue gets compromised.
And because rams don’t shed their horns like deer shed antlers, any damage that happens tends to stick around.
So, the video below is interesting and makes you want to know the story of the busted-up horn.
