Baffling horse riddle has people confused - can you solve it?

This puzzle is guaranteed to leave you scratching your head.

Brainteasersand similar challenges are a brilliant method of enhancing your cognitive abilities by strengthening the connections between your brain cells.

They're excellent for warding off conditions like dementia and can even lift your spirits, as you experience a surge of dopamine each time you crack one. However, this specific puzzle has left people feeling exasperated rather than elated, as they simply cannot figure it out.

READ MORE: Puzzle lovers 'can't figure out' 'toughest' school riddle of all time

READ MORE: Prove you've got a top IQ by solving tricky cube-themed maths puzzle

The question you need to answer appears straightforward enough, but reaching the solution proves challenging - and it's become viral as people debate what the right answer ought to be.

Two women called Caitlin and Leah posted the puzzle in a clip on TikTok. In the footage, Caitlin was seen performing a hand gesture where she clapped, rotated her hands around, clapped once more, spun her hands again, clapped a third time, and then clicked. She subsequently asked her partner: "How many horses jumped over the fence?"

Puzzled by her wife's enquiry, Leah said she had "absolutely no idea," which prompted Caitlin to begin the puzzle once more – this time with a different sequence of hand movements. The second time, she included two taps on her head before the final claps and eliminated the clicking. She then asked: "How many?"

With confidence, Leah replied: "Eight, because you clapped eight times." However, Caitlin corrected her, insisting the answer was two. She then urged her partner to "concentrate" as she demonstrated the riddle for a third time. In this round, she clapped, spun her hands around, and tapped her head before asking: "How many this time?"

Leah guessed two, based on the number of times Caitlin had tapped her head, but was informed the correct answer was four. After several more unsuccessful attempts, a flustered Leah gave up, leaving viewers to debate the correct answer in the comments.

The solution, it seems, is rather straightforward. Caitlin's hand movements are irrelevant to the answer - the key is to focus on what she says afterwards. When Caitlin asked: "How many?" the answer was two. When she asked: "How many this time?" the answer was four - meaning the answer corresponds to the number of words she utters.

READ MORE: You're in the top 30 per cent of people if you find all the pretzels in this brainteaser

One viewer explained: "It's how many words she says after doing all the hand movements. For example, 'how many' would be 2, and 'how many jumped over the fence' would be 6." Another chimed in: "It's the amount of words she says after the actions."