Zooey Deschanel allegedly sued for riding horse too much

The actress allegedly returned horse “injured and unusuable”

4. 'New Girl' Zooey Deschanel (Getty Images)

For those who didn’t know, Zooey Deschanel is an enthusiastic equestrian, who has competed in numerous competitions.

But her passion for horseriding has now led to legal trouble. The actress is being sued by Patty Parker, who “leased” her a horse in 2013, over claims that Deschanel rode the animal too often.

A spokesperson for the actress could not be reached when approached by The Independent. It's too early for her to have yet filed a defence.

The New Girl star is said to have paid £13,000 to lease the horse called Literati. She allegedly signed a contract which prohibited the animal from being overworked. Restrictions included “no more than 3 jumping lessons per week”.

Parker claims that the Deschanel returned the horse ”injured and unusable”. She alleges Literati needed medical attention and wants the actress to pay the veterinary costs.

According to United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), the only time Deschanel competed Literati in a USEF-recognised competition was in August 2013 at the Blenheim Summer Classic.

The actress has two films due for release in 2015, Rock The Kasbah and The Driftless Area.