A horse that was involved in a protest on the Dan Ryan Expressway last week is now getting around-the-clock care at a Tinley Park facility.
The horse, named NuNu, suffered a bloody wound to one of her hooves as well as sores on her side after a man known as the “Dreadhead Cowboy” rode her for seven miles on the Dan Ryan Expressway.
The ride, which Adam Hollingsworth said was done to protest violence against children, was broadcast on Facebook Live and many watching were concerned for NuNu’s health and safety.
Shortly after the indicent, Jim Larson, owner of Forest View Farms in Tinley Park said he got a call from the city.
“We went down with our truck-trailor and picked her up. Brought her back out here,” said Larson. “She lays down a lot and we have to get her up every two to three hours because horses aren’t made to lay down.”
Hollingsworth appeared in court on Wednesday after being charged last week with one count of aggravated animal cruelty, a class 4 felony, according to a statement from Illinois State Police. If convicted, he faces between one and six years in prison on the charge. In a bond hearing last Wednesday, a judge ordered him held on a $25,000 bond, which he met for his release.
Prosecutors on Wednesday said NuNu was in critical condition and may have to be euthanized as a result of her injuries.
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Authorities had previously said Hollingsworth had been charged with misdemeanors including reckless conduct, disobeying a police officer, criminal trespass to state-supported property, obstruction of traffic, and operating a non-highway-vehicle on a highway in connection with the incident on Sept. 21.
Officials say Hollingsworth rode his horse onto the Dan Ryan Expressway just after 4 p.m. on Sept. 21, conducting a Facebook Live broadcast while on the highway, shouting “kids lives matter” as he rode the horse along the expressway. He was flanked by numerous motorcycles and other vehicles, and traffic was backed up as a result of the incident.
Eventually he exited the highway at 95th Street, and he was taken into custody.
During Hollingsworth’s court appearance, prosecutors cited a veterinarian who testified that the damage the horse’s body sustained from the ride is equivalent to what would happen if an 80-year-old were forced to run a full marathon.
