This is probably a very silly/uneducated question but I have always ridden my horses in the same bit used for competition as leisure. For barrels, my mare runs in a junior cowhorse twisted mouth piece with dog bone. She has been off for a couple years and I am going to be legging her back up soon. She is a more high strung horse but has a very soft mouth and is pretty response. How do you choose a bit to ride them in that isn’t their ‘competition bit’? 

Mine never ever ever ever get exercised or just ridden in the same bit I run them in. That way when i do put it on, they know it’s show time and they are fresh in that bit. 

That makes complete sense! I’m just wondering how you choose what bit you condition in or ride with when not competing. I’m not going to lie..I am NOT someone who has a tack room full of different bits, so was unsure of where to start to choose one, or what is preferred by others. 

I ride mine everyday in a CG double gag with chain mouth. Mare loves it....super light and keeps her light. I felt like she needed something to balance on in the turns....like more nose still a light mouth so I got a combo bit with a chain mouth and put a super loose tie down on her. I had someone suggest this to me who knows me, knows how I use my hands, and knows the horse and her idiosyncrasies....I really doubt I would have come up with this entirely on my own. I had been trying just a but heavier CG bit, still with a chain mouth and it just wasn'tworking. But the combo works like a charm. On my mare in particular once I learned what mouth piece she loves, I try really hard to not put anything else in her mouth. 

But like Flittastic said, I never use the competition bit for anything other than competition. When I put it on her she knows it's go time.