In 2001, a letter to the editor of Veterinary Record from a highly experienced equine practitioner suggested that horses experience little or no pain after castration and questioned the routine administration of postoperative analgesic medications for all equine castrations.

Pain management in food and fiber producing ruminants is often more problematic than in other domestic species.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most widely used analgesic agents in equine medicine.