By American Farriers Journal

Queen Elizabeth needs a new farrier.

The Farriers Registration Council’s Disciplinary Committee removed Charles Stuart Craig from the Register of Farriers after it found that he committed “serious professional misconduct” for using abusive language toward an apprentice, as well as bullying, intimidating or harassing him. Craig no longer will be allowed to practice farriery in England.

According to the committee, the following charges that Joseph Hopkins levied against Craig were proved during the disciplinary hearing:

• Craig “bullied and/or intimidated and/or harassed the complainant, and more particularly called the complainant names to his face such as ‘r*tard,’ ‘c*nt,’ ‘f*ggot,’ ’s*astic,’ ‘k*ob,’ ’s*ithead,’ ‘f*ck up,’ ‘k*ob head,’ ‘dyslexic c*nt’ and ‘princess.’”

• Craig “told the complainant that he was ‘thick,’ ‘incompetent’ and ‘lazy.’”

• Craig “told the complainant that he would have to learn a new word every night and if the following morning the complainant could not give the correct meaning of that word, the complainant would have to buy lunch for Mr. Craig and the other apprentices. … On at least one occasion require the complainant to buy Mr. Craig lunch on the basis that he could not remember the meaning of a word.”

• Craig “told the complainant that it was a ‘load of b*llocks’ that the complainant found it difficult to answer questions as a result of his dyslexia.”

• Craig “told the complainant that he would have to buy lunch ‘for everyone’ if the complainant arrived late for work.”

• Craig “made inappropriate comments to the complainant about the complainant’s father’s sex life.”

• Craig “failed to provide safety equipment required by the complainant for the complainant’s apprenticeship and/or reimburse the complainant for having bought the same, more particularly eye protection, ear defenders, boots and/or chaps.”

• Craig “failed to assist sufficiently with the complainant’s theory work and/or revision.”

• Craig “failed to pay the complainant for work undertaken by the complainant for Mr. Craig in August 2012.”

Craig denies the claims that he bullied or used abusive language against Hopkins.

It’s not the first time Craig has run afoul of the rules. Charges were proven against the long-time farrier during a 2002 disciplinary hearing in which he was abusive and bullied three apprentices from 1998 to 1999, 1996 to 2001 and 1997 to 2001. He also was “found guilty of an act of violence against another apprentice” in 1998.