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A lot happened in the twentieth century, with its influence on animal breeding. The industrial revolution changed society tremendously. People moved from the farms to the towns to work in the factories, so fewer farmers became available for food production. Increased production per farm was needed. Simultaneously, technical developments went fast. The train was introduced in the end of the 1800's, the car at the beginning of the 1900's, and the plane soon after that. The use of the tractor on farms became more common in the 1950's. Around WWII artificial insemination was introduced in cattle, so that a more offspring could be produced by a single father. With the introduction of storing semen in liquid nitrogen, the possibilities to extensively use a single father in a (very) large area became even bigger. Introduction of these technical developments had its impact on the use of animals. This was especially the case for oxen and horses. Where oxen and horses were the main source of labour to work on the land, the introduction of the tractor made those animals superfluous. Oxen were no longer retained, but slaughtered at younger age. Horses went through hard times, as there was not much use for them. In took until the 1960's for the sport horses to become popular. In the past, the sport was only performed by army officers and rich men. When horse riding became more popular among women, and especially when it became available for more than just the very rich, the number of horses increased again.