Herbal Horsekeeping

The Authors: Biographical Information

Robert McDowell
G.M. (George Medal), B.Sc Hons.(Mining Engineering), B.Com.(Business), N.D. (Herbal Medicine)

Robert McDowell is a trained medical herbalist who operates a busy practice in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia (125 miles west of Sydney). He grew up in a small rural town in New Zealand, the son of a general medical practitioner, graduating in both Mining Engineering and Business Administration in 1968. During his career as an engineer he traveled to and worked in, over 50 countries, based in Peru (5 yrs), USA (3 yrs) and the UK (2 yrs) and for shorter periods in South Africa, the Fiji Islands, Europe, Australia and parts of Asia. His last posting as an engineer was in Washington DC with the World Bank, where he was responsible for evaluating and financing large-scale minerals engineering projects world-wide.

Due to the pressure of this hectic career and his travels throughout the world, Robert contracted a number of exotic infections and had also developed stomach ulcers by his mid 30's. When herbal medicine and meditation turned out to be the most effective treatments, his interest in the alternative therapies led him to consider a career change. In 1980, Robert left the United States to set up a range of private businesses in Sydney, Australia, and to train as a medical herbalist under internationally-renowned herbalist, Dorothy Hall.

He entered full time herbal practice in 1985 - treating the people of central New South Wales for the whole range of physiological, environmental and stress-related illnesses. By the late 1980's, he was a regular commentator with the Australian Broadcasting Commission (Australia's national radio network), helping herbal medicine gain mainstream acceptance. He was also one of the founding members of the industry body for alternative therapies in Australia, and continues to be instrumental in promoting and advocating the use of herbal and natural therapies for animals and humans. While Robert's practice dealt initially with humans, in 1991, as a result of emerging demand from horse and dog owners, he expanded the practice to include animals. These days a large percentage of his clients are horse owners across Australia, and, as a result of his Web page on the Internet, around the world. Robert actively supports and mentors other herbalists wishing to enter into animal practice and is regularly sought after as a speaker for national and international equine and canine alternative therapy conferences.

Di Rowling
B.A. (English)

Di is a professional freelance writer and graphic designer, based in Perth, Western Australia. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, and is currently undertaking a Masters in Design at Curtin University. She has contributed many feature articles to magazines and journals over the years - a large percentage of them to equestrian magazines. Additionally, she has been consulting editor, regular contributor, and art director for Hoofbeats magazine (the largest selling national Australian equestrian magazine) for over 10 years. Di has also owned and ridden horses for most of her adult life, and has for many years combined her love of horses with a fascination for the alternative therapies - in particular herbalism and homeopathy (both modalitites of which she has studied sporadically and as time permitted).

Over the past 5-6 years, Di and Robert McDowell have collaborated on many articles for equestrian magazines - both in Australia and internationally - on the enormous benefits the judicious use of herbs offers the health and wellbeing of horses. Robert provides his extensive herbal knowledge, and Di her writing skills and general horse knowledge. This book is the result of pressure from a growing number of Robert's clients, feedback from articles, and email via Robert's Web page for a 'hands-on', DIY handbook that describes what herbs can do for their horses, and how they can go about administering them.

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