H.D.v. 12 Reviewed: Where Dressage's Training Scale Actually Came From

Where did dressage's training scale actually come from? Not from a dressage book at all — from a débourrage manual for starting raw young cavalry horses. HDV 12 has quietly shaped how warmbloods are started for over a century, and most riders who use its ideas have never read the source. Rupert takes a full, honest look at Reitvorschrift H.Dv.12(1), published by Xenophon Press — the book behind the "training pyramid" (rhythm, relaxation, contact, impulsion, straightness, collection). It's remarkably holistic for its era: horses living outside rather than boxed, forage and friends prioritized, kindness in early handling, and lateral work built up gradually into long-and-low — with jumping and cross-country woven in as essential to a truly complete seat. Rupert also covers the book's later revision history, including what its author got right the second time around, and doesn't shy away from the harder context behind who wrote it. 🎥 FREE Helios Harmony Intro Course: https://longridehome.com/onoutpout 📚 All Books Mentioned: https://longridehome.com/books 🎟️ Xenophon Press Discount Code: 7greatCUSTOMER (7% off) https://xenophonpress.com Rupert has spent decades studying classical training texts and lived and trained horses in Germany for seven years — which is exactly why this review doesn't stop at technique. He reads HDV 12 for what it teaches your horse, and for the full context of who wrote it. If you're serious about where the modern training scale actually came from, this one's worth sitting with. In this video, you'll discover: ✔️ Why HDV 12 is a débourrage manual, not a dressage book — and what that distinction actually means for starting a young warmblood ✔️ Where the "training scale" (rhythm, relaxation, contact, impulsion, straightness, collection) actually comes from — and who wrote it ✔️ The genuinely holistic ideas inside: horses living outside, forage and friends over stalls, and starting young horses with kindness ✔️ Why cross-country and jumping are treated as essential to a truly complete seat — even in a dressage-adjacent text ✔️ Gert Heuschmann's addendum notes — why the vet who exposed Rollkur added his voice to this book ✔️ Von Ziegner's own late-life revision of his training scale — and why he was right the second time ✔️ The harder context behind who wrote this book, and why Rupert thinks it's worth naming rather than glossing over ✔️ Rupert's honest verdict: should you still read it? 🕛 Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction: what is HDV 12, and why warmblood riders swear by it 01:00 – Published by Xenophon Press; widely cited in the USA and Germany 02:00 – Débourrage, not dressage: cavalletti, remounts, building a working team 03:00 – Von Ziegner's final revision and the origin of the training scale 04:00 – What's genuinely good: turnout, forage, friends, kindness 05:00 – Jumping and cross-country for a complete seat; arenas on gentle slopes 06:00 – The illustrations, the uniforms, and von Ziegner's service on the Eastern Front 07:00 – The pretext for the invasion of Poland, and the saber story 08:00 – The Eastern Front, partisan reprisals, and the absence of expressed compassion 09:00 – The end of the war and how it's framed in the book 10:00 – Von Ziegner's later revision: relaxation, not rhythm, should come first 11:00 – Heuschmann on von Ziegner the man — preaching vs. practicing relaxation 12:00 – Rupert's honest verdict: should you read it? 📺 Related Videos: 🔹 The ORIGINAL Half Halt according to La Guérinière Reveals | Inside Rein Explained:    • The ORIGINAL Half Halt according to La Gué...   🔹 Master Horse Hindquarter Activation Without Extra Leg Pressure!:    • Master Horse Hindquarter Activation Withou...   🔹 Dressage Is Only 2 Easy Patterns!:    • Dressage Is Only 2 Easy Patterns!   🗂️ Playlists: Discussions with Richard Williams about Classical Texts:    • Richard Williams - Xenophon Press   The Old Masters of Dressage – From Ancient to Modern:    • The Old Masters of Dressage - History - an...   👤 About Long Ride Home: Rupert Isaacson is a horseman, bestselling author, and founder of Helios Harmony — classical horsemanship rooted in the Old Masters. Iliane Lorenz specialises in bitless riding, rider seat development, and mounted dressage. Together they share ethical, effective riding that puts the horse first. 👍 Like, Subscribe & Share to support classical horsemanship. 💬 Have you read HDV 12? Should classic training texts like this be annotated for context — or left exactly as written? #HDV12 #KurtAlbrechtvonZiegner #GertHeuschmann #TrainingScale #GermanCavalry #ClassicalDressage #XenophonPress #Debourrage #Horsemanship #LongRideHome Affiliate Disclaimer: Some of the links in this description may be affiliate links. If you use them to make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting our channel!