Myth Or Fact: Can Cows Go Down Stairs? The Truth Revealed!

Cows are simple creatures that do what they are told to.

They are known to graze, give milk, and be the best cattle they can. There is always a question of whether cows go down stairs or not.

The simple answer to this question is that cows' bodies are not made for stairs. Cattle are enormous, and they don't walk the way we do. Stairs are designed explicitly for human legs. Cows cannot walk easily down stairs as they must get their huge bodies down steep steps.

A lot of different follow-up questions arise with this answer. If cows can go upstairs, run downhill, jump, swim, or more. Even though these animals cannot walk down the stairs, they can do many other incredible things.

Can cows go up stairs but not down?

Cows can go upstairs but walking down stairs is much harder for them. They cannot walk downstairs as they cannot see beneath their head. Cows and horses do not enjoy going upstairs and are uncomfortable doing this.

However, they will be more willing to go up the stairs than come down. Stairs are not found in nature and are designed explicitly with proportions for human legs. If cows see stairs, they just avoid them.

Can cows bend their knees?

Cows are known to have knees. However, the knees are found at the top of their hind legs. They are called the stifle joint. The joints found on a cow's leg, especially the knees, look similar to the human wrists in the front legs. Their knees look like human ankles in their hind legs.

Cows are known to have forward-facing knees on their hind legs. They are known to bend backward like human knees.

However, the middle joint of a cow leg bends forward, similar to a human's ankle. On a cow's rear and front legs, it might seem that the knees face the wrong way. It is because the middle joint in a cow's leg is not a knee.

If you compare the anatomy of a cow to a human, the front legs of cows are similar to a human's elbow on top, wrist in the center, and knuckles at the bottom. The hind legs of cows are identical to a human's knees at the top, ankles in the center, and toes at the bottom.

The middle joint in each of the cows' legs (knees) is known as the carpal joint in the front legs and the tarsal joint in the hind legs.

The knee joint in a cow is seen in the hind legs and looks identical to the hip.

The actual knee joint is called the stifle joint in a cow. Cow joints are known by different names in comparison to human joints.

What is the only animal with four knees?

Elephants are known to be the only animal to have four knees. These knees are forward-facing knees. All other four-legged animals have at least two legs with knees facing backward.

Why can't cows go down stairs?

Cows walk down stairs, but it is very difficult for them to do so. There are two things to consider and know to determine if a cow can go down stairs. The size of the cow, along with the incline of the stairs, determines if the cow can walk down stairs.

Bigger cows have a much more difficult time going downstairs than smaller cows. The steep slopes and foreign leg movement make it hard for a cow to walk down stairs as they are not evolutionarily prepared for it.

Cows have been known to get scared of steps, even if only three or four steps are on the way. Sometimes, these animals even jump from the top to the bottom rather than going downstairs one step at a time.

Although the cow is around 1,500 lb (680 kg), it will avoid walking down the stairs and simply jump even if the stairs are not steep.

Tiredness might make them avoid jumping. They might walk down stairs, but they will not enjoy walking down this path.

A few factors make it hard for cows to walk downstairs. The first point is that stairs are not found in nature and are foreign to them.

It is a man-made obstacle for them and is specifically designed for humans and not animals. The second thing that makes it hard for cows to go down stairs is that their bodies are shaped differently. These animals are have a big build.

Cattle are known to have rectangular-shaped bodies with a stocky build. They also have four legs which make walking down stairs tricky.

The bodies of these cattle are made for standing on flat ground where they can feed. They have often been seen left to graze on flat grasslands.

So, if you put them on a staircase with a slope, they are bound to come tumbling down. It is similar to keeping a heavy object on top of a slope. The object will come tumbling downhill and crash hard on the floor.

The cows are pretty big in build. A black Angus male species weighs around 1,800-2,000 lb (816.5-907.2 kg). A Simmental has a weight of about 2866 lb (1,300 kg).

Similarly, a Holstein has a weight of around 2,000 lb (907.2 kg). Even the weight of the female counterparts of these animals ranges from 1,000-2,000 lb (453.6-907.2 kg). Think what happens if one of these animals falls and hurts itself while walking down stairs.

Another thing that makes it hard for cows to walk down stairs is their eyes. The eyes of these cattle are on the sides of their heads.

This helps them look out for predators better. These side eyes can also help them keep a lookout for the herd.

But they cannot help them while walking down stairs. Cattle cannot see directly in front of them and cannot even see the ground below their head. Apart from the weight of these animals, their eyes don't help them when it comes to stairs.

The same problems are also seen in horses and other animal species with similar body structures to cows. Only some cows and horses are able to walk on steps.

However, they need a lot of training to be able to do this. Cows will walk down the stairs if you force them to, but it wouldn't be a good idea to do so.