Lonesome Cowboy Optical Illusion

Horses, horses, horses… can we have a decent optical illusion without this royal animal? Apparently not. Perhaps there is something about them, that makes an artist inspired in creating optical illusions. Once again we have an illusion that deals with a horse (and a cowboy too). Just like it was with our previous horse silhouette, we can’t really be sure in which direction these guys were heading. Is it towards us, or away from us? If you consider the sunset behind our horseman, and if the horse’s shadow is made by the sun, I would guess both horse and a cowboy are heading away from us… but this is only my opinion. Any other suggestions? Now when I finished writing this, count how many times the word “horse” has been mentioned, and you’ll probably be amazed that every single link in this article points to a different horse optical illusion. This is half the many we have in our archives. Shishh…

103 Replies to “Lonesome Cowboy Optical Illusion”

  1. I think hes coming towards us judging by the horses legs. Not sure though.

    I think you said horse 9 times :P

    Awsome keep up the great work.

  2. first look, he’s coming.. but after looking at him a little longer it may be both… really cool site, one of my favorites

  3. Well, the picture says he’s going to the game and since there are people in the stands, that means the game is going on or about to start. So my conclusion is that he’s going away from us. I can see it both ways though.

  4. Has anyone else noticed that comments containing *st *omment are no longer appearing? I know I posted some on past illusions when I was first, but they never showed up. Or am I just crazy?

  5. Excellent — much like the old dancer illusions where she appears to spin both ways. Impossible to tell which way — it’s all up to your Brain!

  6. He would have to be coming. The front foot of the horse is hitting ground forward of the rear hoofs. Likewise, the front hooves are bigger, meaning closer.

  7. I can see both coming and going but…
    I think that he is coming, because if he was going (heading AWAY from us rather than coming towards us) then the horses back RIGHT leg looks very odd that close to the other along with the front left leg looking very strange too, almost as if the horse is flailing his leg and hoof(arm and hand :P) like a stereotypical homosexual… but coming forwards, the position and movement of the legs looks normal(ish)

  8. I think he is going.

    I Think that if he was comming, you wouldn’t see his knee and feet sticking out.
    His legs would have to be pretty long to make them appear.

  9. I agree with comment 5, the picture says hes going away from “us” but then again…The dog is exacly parallel (however you right that) to us so it’s really hard to determine

  10. Strange…Everyone seems to think he is either coming towards us or both. It definitely seems like he is going away from us at first glance to me, but I guess that after a long look, it sort of changes. These kind of illusions are great because you can also see them in real life.

  11. Based on the representation of the rear legs of the horse, he is most definitely pointed away from us. The leg to the left would have to be crossed in behind the leg to the right if he were to be approaching us, and this is not practical while moving, therefore I stand by my decision that he is in fact heading away.

  12. I think he is coming toward us. there is no sun behind him so u can’t tell if that is a sunset or a sunrise. plus he might not be facing east or west by the way the shadows are on the ground. Just because the sky is depicted as red in this picture it doesn’t mean that it is a sunset or sunrise either. my opinion though.

  13. He is definetely coming towards us and so is the dog, since the front hooves of the horse are lower and slightly bigger and thus more towards us than are the back hooves. Same applies to the dog. Unless you look at the legs though, you can definetely see it both ways. :)

  14. I don’t even know if I’m coming or going–how am I supposed to figure out what he’s doing? It’s fun to be able to look at one thing in two different ways. Keeps the ol’ brain flexible. Thanx.

  15. I can see the horse and cowboy going both ways, but the dog only looks like it is going away from me. And the game field is off in the distance.

    So I have to go with he is going.

  16. I believe he’s coming towards us. By the look of his hair, it wouldn’t make sense if he was going towards the ball game.

  17. well the bottom caption says to the ball park he wends his was to see the game
    so he’s going towards the field

  18. I counted 10 “horses”

    I can see him both coming and going.
    this kind of image makes my eyes ache for some reason

  19. I you use the shadow on the ground as an indicator i would say he was going away from the viewer,all the shadows seem to be heading in that direction. But at the same time the front left hoof can only create that profile when viewed from the front and off to the horses right….. everyone has thier own perspective

  20. Judging by the text at the bottom I would say the intention of the picture is he is going but a very clever illusion!!!!!

  21. I say he is going because it says he’s going to the baseball game and it says baseball park on the fence.

  22. When I first saw the picture I saw him coming, but now I mostly see him going. Strange how our eyes change what we see once a different perspective has been seen.

  23. Cool illusion! Going away, no coming our way us, no going away, uh… I really can see it both ways! If what number 6 says is true, it is just awesome because I was sick of seeing 1st 2nd whatever numbers on the comments actually I really wish the comments would get posted automatically so we could really discuss the illusions and yes the “undesired” comments could just be deleted we you would usually come to approve comments. I just thing it would make the discussions so much more interesting. Love the site!

  24. I think the rider is going away from us !
    In most cowboy films I’ve seen, the dog usually follows the horse rather than precede it, because it doesn’t want to get stepped on !

  25. He’s leaving. The stands are still full and a cowboy does not leave home without a hat. So he lost it during the match. He must have left early from the park.

  26. Wake up people.
    It’s “Bloomer Day”.
    The Boston Bloomer Girls are playing.
    He’s definitely not going!

  27. Hm.. if he was coming towards the viewer, he will horse and dog would nearly collide. Not that they really will, of course… If they were going away (which I think they are), the dog is strolling behind.
    Anyway: Great illusion!

  28. Judging by the shadows, and where the dog is walking, he’s coming towards us. This contradicts the story on the poster.

  29. He’s coming toward us.. if you look at the front hooves, u can see they’re pointing in our directing. Else the poor horse has wonky legs :p

  30. I’m more inspired by the date! I wonder what the oldest optical illusion is and how far back illusions date?
    Wonderful site and a great Illusion as always. Keep up the great work.

  31. Title suggests he’s going to the game (away from us) but I think looking at the horse’ feet he’s coming towards us. Look at the foot furthest on the right, its pointing towards us and the second furthest from the right does the same. If he was going away, the furthest right foot would be pointing towards the stands/crowd.

    Over analysis?

    Great site :)

  32. yeah it is going away from us becuase if you look at the dog if it was coming towards us it would be cutting across the horse and a dog wouldnt do that. so it is going away from us. see what i mean?

  33. I think he is coming. The clue is in the foot on the right side of the horse I believe is his left foot in a stirrup.

    Steve

  34. I can see it both ways but everytime I see him go away and look at the foot of the cowboy on the right of the horse i keep thinking he’s coming back. Because if he was going then you wouldn’t be able to see the foor.

  35. Going away. As per # 17 look at the rear legs they would have to be crossed to be coming towards us. As well the position of the horse tail would be seen between the legs and ears would be out of place if coming towards us. Read the bottem of the poster GOING to the Ball Park (AWAY FROM US)

  36. Let me tell u. I kept asking myself, what are these people talking about? it is obvious that the guy is walking towards us. OMG I feel stupid now, because it took me forever to see that it could be both ways. At first glance it seems to me that he’s walking away from the park but after a second look it seems he’s going to the park. Nice very nice illusion.

  37. Cowboys have herding dogs. A herding dog follows the rear of the herd to keep it moving and will only cross infront to slow or make the herd change directions. He is going away in the poster.

  38. The dog is in front, so they are coming, for sure. The horse could not be in a different direction from the dog, because of the shadow. So for sure, they are coming.

  39. He is going towards the crowd… The simple reason I can give : Every Dog follows its owner back running but not in front…..

  40. Sorry, my earlier attempt at humour may have been a bit juvenile. What I was implying is why would a bloke (and I’m assuming he’s single), ride away from a stadium full of women on “BLOOMER DAY”?.

  41. judging by the shadows, looks like he’s coming towards us. The horse’s shadow is difficult, but the dog (assuming the dog is traveling WITH the horse)is almost definitely coming towards us. Mostly because of the larger part of the shadow being lower on the horizon line, indicating that the head is closer to us.

  42. He is obviously going toward the BOSTON BLOOMER GIRLS game …just raed the caption”To the Ball Park He wends his way To see the Game on Bloomer Day”

  43. comming toward us the tail is beetween his legs when he comes toward us if hes going away from us the tail is misplaced and i cant see the dog goin the other way

    but the writing says he going away from us
    TO THE BALL PARKS HE «WENDS HIS WAY» (GOES)
    TO SEEEEEE THE GAME ON BLOOMER DAY

    so he is going both ways

  44. I think they’re going away from us cuz’ if they were coming towards us that dog is about to be trampled by the horse.

  45. I think he is going, because at first glance I thought he is definitely coming at me, but then when I looked closer I see the dog and its shadow and if he were walking slightly behind it would make more since that it is following the man on the horse, look at the lines on its body.

  46. They’re coming because there are people at the seats there so the thing’s not over. If it was over then people would be coming out along with him.

  47. Perspective drawing teaches us that things in the distance are smaller, though you don’t need to know about art to know that. Look at the horse’s head. If they are coming, then the horses head would most definitely be bigger. This is a horse. A large animal. They are going to the ballpark. That’s why the man appears to be so large compared to the horse’s head.

  48. for starters u lot get so worked up over this shit. At first when i looked at it i saw clearly he was only going one way and this was away from us. When i looked at the caption is he coming or going i saw that the artist has made it look like it can go either way.
    definition of wends
    wend
    The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | Copyright
    wend / wend/
    • v. [intr.] (wend one’s way) go in a specified direction, typically slowly or by an indirect route: they wended their way across the city.
    this throws you of not convinces you like u morons said. But yes he is going way the rear legs dont quite work if he is coming but it was designed to work both ways

  49. Well, i think hes going towards the ball park.
    Because it says hes going to see the game…and there are still people in the ball park.

    So unless hes an idiot i think he is going to the ball park

    1. No it doesn’t.. it could be his other foot?
      Think about it.
      I dont know, because 2 people are right really, yes, he would be going to the ball park, because it says that is what he is going for, but the dog wouldn’t be behind the horse in that case, it would walk next to it.

  50. He is coming. Look at his face you can see his jaw line. If he was going you wouldn’t be able to see that it would just be his hair line and neck, but you can clearly make out his jaw line.

    1. lol jk hes walking away because look it the dog’s back leg and the horse is someway kinda towards us

  51. Don’t look at the horse, it’s not part of the illusion.

    FOCUS on the COWBOY. It’s either he’s going towards the lower right of the picture OR he’s facing the ball park (while sitting sideways on the horse). Stupid people

  52. If it weren’t for the fact that it says he’s going to the ball park, which would mean away, I would say coming because of the dog running next to him. I can’t imagine why the dog would be behind the horse. Usually a dog that is used to running with a horse knows not to run behind it. But, i dunno.

  53. I think the fornt of the horse and the back of the horse are going in difernt directions, back leggs are going away and the front is coming toward the viewer.

  54. Read it. It saya he is GOING TO THE BALL PARK TO SEE THE GAME ON BLOOMER DAY. o the sign it says BASEBALL PARK. he is going away, to the park.

  55. its an optical illusion morons its an optical illusion its whatever your minds eye wants it to be, you must be all americans

  56. This should not be here: it was not meant to be an illusion (I think). It is not possible to imagine the whole image was “going”.

  57. hes going both ways depending on how you look at it, at first i thought he was heading towards me but if you concentrate enough he appears to be heading towards the tent as does his dog, it all depends on if you’re brain is right or left sided like being right or left handed

  58. he is going, come on it’s very obvious just read everything and look at the picture entirely, don’t just focus on the man and the animals…you’ll get it

  59. by the horse legs i think that its neither coming towards us nor going away from us its going on our right side

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