A seemingly simple horse algebra puzzle has left thousands of internet users scratching their heads. The maths problem, shared widely on Reddit, has four questions, with the first three providing answers that help determine the value of each symbol: a horse, a horseshoe, and a cowboy boot.
The puzzle has been shared thousands of times and has generated nearly 495,000 comments from users attempting to solve it. Proposed answers have ranged from 21 to 48, but the majority agree the correct solution is 21.
To arrive at the answer, solvers must first divide the number in the first equation by three to find the value of a horse, which is 10. In the second equation, subtracting the horse (10) from 18 leaves 8, the combined value of two horseshoes, meaning each horseshoe is worth 4. In the third equation, two horseshoes (8) minus two cowboy boots equals 2, so each boot is worth 1.
The final equation requires adding a boot (1) to a horse (10) multiplied by a horseshoe (2). Following the BODMAS rule—which dictates the order of operations—the multiplication is done first (10 x 2 = 20), then the addition (20 + 1 = 21).
