Myth and Reality
Cow tipping is the purported activity of sneaking up on a sleeping, upright
cow and pushing it over for fun. In reality, though, cows do not sleep standing up. Therefore, cow tipping is a myth.
According to popular belief, cows can easily be pushed over without much force because they are slow-moving, slow-witted and weak-legged, have a high center of gravity and sleep standing up. Numerous publications have debunked cow-tipping as a myth. Cows do not sleep standing up, nor do their knees lock, making the act of cow-tipping impossible. A variety of calculations have been performed to determine if cow tipping is physically possible. A study led by Margo Lillie, a doctor of
zoology at the
University of British Columbia, concludes that cow tipping by a single person is impossible. Her calculations found that it would take at least two people to apply enough force to push over a cow if the cow does not react and reorient its footing. If the cow does react, it would take at least four people to push it over. Professor Lillie noted that, contrary to the myth, cows are well aware of their surroundings (they have excellent senses of smell and hearing) and are very difficult to sneak up on.