# Explain this optical illusion to me please. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082 "2003-02-14T16:18:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Copper\_moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@Copper\_moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Copper_moon)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/1 "2003-02-14T16:18:35Z")
Check out this “optical illusion”. Okay so it’s really just a painting but it’s a neat one. They say there are seven horses in it. I can only see five though and I’m usually pretty good at these things. Anyone see seven? [http://www.indianchild.com/horses.htm](http://www.indianchild.com/horses.htm) ---
**Author:** ![micco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@micco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micco)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/2 "2003-02-14T16:22:10Z")
This is an example of Bev Dolittle’s work. [http://www.janajae.com/gallerysouthwest/dolittle.htm](http://www.janajae.com/gallerysouthwest/dolittle.htm) You probably need a better image of the original painting to see all the subtleties. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/3 "2003-02-16T12:47:42Z")
I see only 5, counting noses, ears, legs, anything else I can see. Who says there are seven? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/4 "2003-02-16T13:27:32Z")
Five, surely. ---
**Author:** ![NardoPolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@NardoPolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NardoPolo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/5 "2003-02-16T13:50:11Z")
I say there’s five. ---
**Author:** ![auRa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@auRa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auRa)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/6 "2003-02-16T14:27:55Z")
I’d say five, too, unless you have a really good imagination… ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/7 "2003-02-16T15:06:49Z")
Nope! Look above the center horse, the _rock_ that looks like it protrudes above that horse…well thats a larger horse … Still looking for seventh. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/8 "2003-02-16T15:19:14Z")
I only count 17 legs! Poor crippled horse, standing on one leg. ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/9 "2003-02-16T15:21:19Z")
Here’s a cleaner image of it, if you’re getting frustrated with the first one. [Bev Doolittle - “Pintos”](http://lajoie.uqam.ca/percept/bloc2/pintos.html) I have to admit, I’m only seeing five too. ---
**Author:** ![Washte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Washte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washte)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/10 "2003-02-16T15:24:50Z")
Yes, there are 7. I have a book of hers that includes preliminary sketches, so you can see all the hidden bits. I think she is brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![vertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3ec8ea/32.png) [@vertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertigo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/11 "2003-02-16T16:51:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Washte \* > **Yes, there are 7. I have a book of hers that includes preliminary sketches, so you can see all the hidden bits.** Hmmm…, maybe all 7 from the sketches didn’t make it into the final picture. Until someone can outline 7, or even 6, horses I am gonna have to go with 5. Unless 2 horses are completely hidden behind the other 5. In that case I count 12. ---
**Author:** ![Tir\_Tinuviel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tir\_Tinuviel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tir_Tinuviel)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/12 "2003-02-16T17:32:26Z")
sod the horses… who else sees the human skull? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JRootabega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e7dd6/32.png) [@JRootabega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRootabega)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/13 "2003-02-16T17:44:49Z")
The other two horses **died** because you didn’t believe in them. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/14 "2003-02-16T18:06:36Z")
Maybe I’m just hallucinating…BUT I see a slightly larger solid brown horse in the center behind the other horses. It is facing left and has it’s ears laid back. The seventh horse is just a head and is large. It completely fills the upper right corner and is also facing left. If you notice there are two round spots…one is the nostril and the other is an eye. The ears are not shown. Try to focus out the “obvious” horses. ---
**Author:** ![Marduk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Marduk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marduk)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/15 "2003-02-16T18:10:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Speaker for the Dead \* > \*\*I only count 17 legs! Poor crippled horse, standing on one leg. \*\* That horse is named “Teeters”. ---
**Author:** ![syntax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@syntax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syntax)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/16 "2003-02-16T18:18:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tir Tinuviel \* > \*\*sod the horses… who else sees the human skull? > 😃 \*\* phew! man am i glad you saw that too, thought my mind was playing tricks with me… ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/17 "2003-02-16T18:20:28Z")
There are only 4, really - the middle one looks more like a cow with a mutant horse face. ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/18 "2003-02-16T18:23:19Z")
I see a man holding an axe wearing a mask. Does that mean something? ---
**Author:** ![vertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3ec8ea/32.png) [@vertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertigo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/19 "2003-02-16T18:27:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by t-keela \* > \*\*Maybe I’m just hallucinating…BUT I see a slightly larger solid brown horse in the center behind the other horses. It is facing left and has it’s ears laid back. > > The seventh horse is just a head and is large. It completely fills the upper right corner and is also facing left. If you notice there are two round spots…one is the nostril and the other is an eye. The ears are not shown. Try to focus out the “obvious” horses. \*\* So you are saying that the “extra” two horses are not literally other horses, but “horse shapes” within the painting? If so, I think that is kind of misleading. If I really squint my eyes there are like 27 horses in the image. 😉 I am assuming, maybe incorrectly, that we are looking for 7 real horses all standing, or sitting/lying, in the field of view. If that’s the case, I only can find 5. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082/20 "2003-02-16T18:39:20Z")
I concur. I see only 5. I’m usually good at these puzzles too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-optical-illusion-to-me-please/155082.md?page=2)