I've got some family in farm and cattle. It originated as as way to have a laugh at the expense of city slickers:

Cows don't really sleep standing up. They might kinda doze, but to be fully out they lay down. None-the-less they'll congregate in the same areas every night to stand and drift off in said doze. Since it's always the same area the ground is torn up and rife with cow crap and pee.

You tell a city slicker they can knock over the "sleeping" cows if they push with full force and really dive their feet. The cow won't move but the "tippers" feet will - slipping unable to get a good grip on the wet, loose, poop filled ground as they push with all their might.

The city slicker falls flat on his face and gets covered in mud and cow droppings and the country folk have a good laugh.

Few folks fall for it anymore thanks to internet debunking, but as kids we'd sometimes have some fun watching my uncle get someone with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27xkt3RQc_c

Skip to near the end

Spoken to a lot of people about it. In general, it's not real. I've only heard of one instance where it worked, and in that situation it required an 80s Toyota Tacoma to do it. Like one farmer said: "Why would they tip? They'd just take a step and steady themself. Then they'd beat the shit out of you."

I understand cow tipping if the are not getting paid for their milk, but if they are already getting paid and are asking for a tip on top of it, then that's pure bullshit!

If you can do it apply to the NFL asap.

I've laid down on the PBR bulls in the middle of the bull riding arena, but I've never tried to tip a cow. I'm brave but I'm not stupid.

Just a fun adult ghost story you tell, and it gains steam as it is retold from the 3rd person pretending to be the 1st person, making it more real as its retold.

I suspect this is how Shazaam, the movie starring Sinbad, manifested. When Kazaam with Shaquille O'Neal actually later came out it was like we already lived it.

"Your Strength is insufficient to tip the Brahmin. Perhaps the good ol' Cattle Prod will be able to convince the animal to move over." (Fallout 2 reference)

Can confirm. Lived in an ag-county for 8 years. Almost got conned into trying it.

I tried it once on a cow in New Zealand. These were bred to be a bit smaller so as to be easier on the land. It was the last cow through the gate and it didn't seem interested in moving or even aware. Still, it didn't really work. The cow merely stumbled and ran to join its friends.

All depends on how you're tipping them over, and with what.