Now Cramer, who also is the coach of the Northwestern University equestrian team, works with clients with anxiety, depression and other afflictions. She said riding horses is a way to calm nerves or anger in a judgment-free space, and it teaches riders how to recognize their own emotions. Because horses respond to verbal and nonverbal cues, riders must focus on calming the horse, Cramer said. In doing that, they calm themselves, she said.