Can YOU spot the second horse? Only people with high IQs can solve the brainteaser in 10 seconds

A new brain teaser claims that only highly intelligent people can spot a second horse in the majestic animal’s painted coat.

The picture features a full-grown horse standing in a field and asks viewers to use creative thinking to solve the brainteaser.

Spotting the horse requires quick thinking, and if you can find the letter in 10 seconds or less, your level of intelligence is higher than people who take longer.

Solving the puzzle isn’t so much about looking and simply seeing it, but about finding a different way to look at it.

Set the timer for 10 seconds and try to find the second horse on the brown and white side of the stallion.

If you had trouble spotting it, you aren’t alone because the brain teaser is a trick question.

Instead of looking for the image of another horse, look closely at the white sections of its coat and watch the letters take shape. 

The letters spell out H-O-R-S-E – revealing the ‘second horse’ to those whose IQs allowed them to find it in the allotted timeframe. 

The optical illusion is a tricky one, because instead of looking for an image of a horse, viewers should look for letters in the white sections of the animal’s coat

Some teasers can be used to test your mathematical or lateral thinking skills, while others, like the horse puzzle, are used to test your observational skills.

These types of puzzles enhance how the prefrontal cortex functions, which controls cognitive abilities including thinking, decision-making, concentration and problem-solving.

When you solve a brain teaser, it increases the amount of dopamine your body produces – a chemical that regulates memory, concentration and mood – each time you solve a puzzle.

‘Working on a puzzle reinforces connections between brain cells, improves mental speed and is an effective way to improve short-term memory,’ according to Progress Lifeline.

A 2021 study revealed that the ‘logic stress and limit stress generated during playing brain teaser games are positive stress, with a desirable effect on the players’ attention.’

‘These two types of stress improve cognitive abilities such as attention, concentration and problem-solving by activating the brain’s frontal lobe,’ the study continued to explain.

Other studies have shown that brain teasers do play an important role in helping memory and attention span as well as improve problem-solving skills, prevent cognitive decline and increase a person’s mental agility – or ability to process information quickly.

However, while the horse puzzle might have proved tricky for some, not all brain teasers are the same, so rest assured that it may not be that you have a low IQ, it could simply indicate what type of intelligence you possess.