Horses shifted from work to recreation while their shoes stayed unchanged.

Evidence

The horse industry in America has undergone a sea change over the latter part of the twentieth century. Whereas horses were once either tools of the rancher’s trade or the stable of the affluent, recent surveys indicate that the vast majority of horses owned in America today are used for recreation and pleasure by persons from all walks of life and socio-economic status (American Horse Council, 2005). Racing and working horses now account for less than 20 per cent of all horses in the U.S. Although the new ways in which horses are kept and used alter the functionality of shoes, 95 per cent of horses are still shod with the all-purpose steel ‘keg’ shoe that has been the dominant design since the 1800s (Rubber & Plastics News, 2005). — Georg Schreyögg and Jörg Sydow, The Hidden Dynamics of Path Dependence, 619

Categorization

• CANDY: Even after horses stopped being work animals, 95 percent still wear the same 1800s steel shoe.