it should be pointed out that sheep, unlike goats, are not very good at jumping

but having said that, when they are pressed in a crowd, i have seen these bastards jump more than 4 feet high, and only thanks to the border collies the farmer had who can jump almost 7 feet high the escapee was brought back to the fold

the deficiency in their brains that makes them do this is related to the shape of their irises - they literally are built to watch for horizontal threats and don't see above and below very well, goats are more acute with this but sheep and goats both have horizontally lenticular irises

goats are different because they have longer legs and already are at eye level a full foot above the typical sheep so they see the opportunities

the sheep can't see the vertical world very well at all

most of their threats, ie canines, felines, operate at near head level so that's why they have this vision deficiency, it improves their ability to maintain a herd and the herd is protective, the males in the group will congregate around the edges of the herd and attack the threats with their nasty hard horns

note that cows don't have this vertical problem but they literally can't jump, they are so middle heavy

Temple Grandin pointed out that cows being herded through channels like in a slaughterhouse get very upset about objects in the lower field of the vertical, and i think that cows are also attuned to vertical threats, because they are weaker in this direction

there, thanks for inspiring me to have some mental exercises about why sheep are sheep, why goats are goats and why cows are cows