74 heads means there are 74 critters there (people and horses)
x = horses 4x = legs
74-x = people 2 (74-x) = people legs
assuming every person has 2 legs and every horse has 4 legs , the sum of the legs is 196
4x + 2(74-x) = 196
4x + 148- 2x = 196
2x = 48
x = horses = 24 74-24 = people = 50 people