Rescue animals sooth clients in therapy at Dobbins Paddock in Manjimup.

The serene outdoors and rescue animals form a crucial part of equine therapy and counselling services at Dobbins Paddock in Manjimup.

Maddy Robson counsels clients out in a paddock with the help of two rescue horses and a rescue dog after starting the business in Broomehill with husband Shaun, who is the pastor at the Manjimup Baptist Church.

The couple moved to Manjimup last year and have continued offering services in a new location.

Mrs Robson’s passion for rescuing and retraining animals flows through her work, with five-year-old palomino quarter horse Tye doing the groundwork with children and teenagers.

Sprocket, an American paint quarter horse, naturally embraced working with clients from the moment he arrived at Dobbins Paddock, and Joddy — the family’s dingo-cross — joins in with therapy too.

Mrs Robson specialises in trauma, children, teens and family, as well as drugs and alcohol-related trauma.

“It’s all about them building a relationship with the horse doing groundwork and (other exercises). When they ride, they are bareback, so they will learn things like standing up on the horse’s back,” she told the Times.

Guiding people of all ages through exercises, Mrs Robson shows clients how to build rapport with the assistance animals so they feel safe.

“We’ll have a chat (with clients) and then we might take Sprocket for a walk down to the trees or a swim in the dam, then come back and have another chat,” Mrs Robson said.

Mrs Robson said the outdoor therapy was unrestrictive with a focus on solution-based thinking, and an emphasis on setting and achieving goals to boost confidence levels.

“I don’t spend hours looking back. You look forward, and you look for the solutions,” she said.

“They get chalk, and they write up their goals, either on the horse or the fence. They get to dictate what they do.

While working in Broomehill, Mrs Robson also worked with local police, focusing on high-risk youth.

“We had the kids come out on sponsorship and work with horses, and they saw crime rates go down,” she said.