Zooey Deschanel at centre of bizarre horse lawsuit

Actress Zooey Deschanel has been hit with a bizarre lawsuit by the owner of a horse who alleges the actress overworked her beloved animal.

Patty Parker is the owner of a show horse called Literati, which the New Girl star leased to ride in 2013, according to TMZ.com.

In the lawsuit obtained by the website, Parker claims Deschanel paid $13,000 to participate in a riding competition, and prior to the event, the actress signed a contract promising not to overwork the stallion.

The contract had a number of restrictions for the horse, including "no more than three jumping lessons per week".

However, Parker claims that when Literati was returned, the horse was "injured and unusable", and needed serious medical attention to fix its injuries.

Parker is seeking compensation for the massive veterinary bills.

Deschanel has yet to comment on the suit.