Might be a regional thing. Cows sleep on their feet, and if you are quiet enough, you can sneak up on them in the pasture, give them a football-style running body block, and tip them over. Some country kids think it's a funny pastime. Sure, they can get right up, but......would you want to get woke up like that?
The tractor-tipping scene from "Cars" comes to mind.
Roger
Darn cow tippers!