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This independent Queensland maker kept producing longer than any other one-man carver in Australia. His early models tend to have much more detail and character about them than those of the post WW2 period. A family member continued to make some horses after Lou died in 1964. Not usually seen beyond Queensland and Northern NSW. The ‘dapple pattern’ is most distinctive and unlike any used by other makers. The saddle is similar to the Leeway and early Roebuck but without the chevron stitching. Construction is robust and because there are no outer leg muscles, the leg joints are reinforced with substantial inner leg blocks. Although the legs are thin, extra strength is gained by extending the width. The varnished stand supports the 3/8” swing irons and it is unusual for the rear iron to be 1” shorter than the front one. This was a method used to alter the head down angle, so it was not as steep as the jump angle. Early irons were secured at the hoof rail by the ‘riveted washer’ method (like Roebuck and Ayres) until the mid ‘50s when the ‘ ratchet cap’ was introduced. The wide area at the back of the mouth and the tucked head position are also indications of this maker. I did make contact with the Peets family in 1992 who indicated they would forward the patterns found under his workbench, but this did not eventuate.
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LOU PEETS Brisbane 1914-64 |
