Out of work and fighting depression, 23-year-old James Jones Jr. reached out to Boys’ Haven.

He had found a sense of belonging at the non-profit Louisville, Ky., home for neglected and abused youths as a teenager after shuffling through a series of foster homes.

He found the help he needed in a new equine program the home is offering to young adults who face long odds.

Jones became the first recruit and first graduate of the program, which uses horses as the backdrop for developing life skills