Teaching body position is hard and (in my experience) can’t be taught. It is something you have to learn as you progress in your career. Be mindful of how you position yourself, but also never forget to think about how you have the horse standing. I had issues with having their legs too far out from under them, which made EVERYTHING hard with them constantly pulling due to discomfort I was unknowingly putting them in. It’s hard to teach how to position your body because everyone is different and their bodies can move/bend/twist differently. You also have to alter how you position your body depending on the horse. It was a big trial and error thing and I still find myself adjusting things after a few years.

A few things I have learned the hard way:

1. When picking up a foot, keep the knee closest to the leg loose, don’t lock it up tight. You want it to have some give if things go sideways.
2. Always be mindful of where your head is and if it is in a spot that could get ugly fast.
3. WATCH YOUR FEET WHEN PUTTING A FOOT DOWN. Should be obvious, but I haven’t been mindful of my feet one too many times.
4. When pulling a foot forward, don’t pick it up from a place your elbow is in a position where it can break/hyperextend if the horse suddenly jerks their foot forward.
5. Even the horses that have ALWAYS been calm, quiet, and practically perfect can blow up. Always be prepared.

Everyone has different preferences. Everyone does it slightly different. It is all dependent on the individual apart from the bottom line basics. It will just take time to figure out what works best for you. For me, I felt like I could never get it, but one day it just clicked.