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Abstract
Groups of animals of different ages and experience of previous parasite exposure were
allowed to graze a single pasture for 5 weeks in autumn (7 October to 11 November).
There was evidence that previous exposure modified cyathostome development, as acquired
burdens in foals which had previously grazed were smaller and developed more slowly
than those of helminth-naive animals of the same age. The burdens acquired by yearling
and adult ponies were of a similar size to those of the previously grazed foals, but
the incidence of arrested development was higher in the younger groups of foals and
yearlings when compared with adults. Further evidence of an effect of age on cyathostome
development was that the level of faecal egg output of the adult ponies was lower
than in the groups of young animals.