Once they've graduated from a snaffle and you are either seasoning, jackpotting, rodeoing, etc, on them regularly, what bit(s) are your go-to's for excercising, working one at home, warming up, etc. 

Do you stay in an O/D ring?  A light chain bit??  Something with a shank??  And why?!

My horse is most comfortable in a chain mouth. I use a Jr cow horse chain mouth (without a chin strap) to run in, a Josey chain mouth gag for slow work and I trail ride her in a Little S hack.

I absolutely LOVE this Old Cowboy Bit that Dutton makes. The weight and feel you get from it, is something I have yet to find in any other bit! Its not intimidating to the young ones I've worked with and they seem to love it too.

I used to try to graduate them to something else at home but every. single. time. I would go get a lesson (which at one point was every weekend) he would have me put them back in a snaffle. Or at most a draw gag with a smooth two piece mouth. So I stay in those for the most part now while excercising.  

If I am just exercising, a hackamore is my ususal go to. 

If I am ponying a horse or realy trying to work on a certain aspect in training, I go with a bit that is a step or 2 down from what I run in.  That could be anywhere from a snaffle to a ported colt bit.  Just depends on the horse. 

I did have one I had to go up in bits to ride at home becuase she was no fun to ride. LOL

IF my horse needs more than an o ring, I'll either try a chain mouth piece, or a jr cowhorse. I really like flipping the jr cowhorse upside down, so the shank is very short. That way it's a gradual step up, and if they need more leverage, I can flip the cowhorse around to the normal way and they aren't scared of the shank pressure. One of my trainers told me this and it's always stuck with me, a bit is only as heavy as your hands. So if you have a horse where you absolutely have to bit up heavy, you don't have to use the full power of the it...but it's there if you need it  =] Hope this helps!

I don't usually ride in a ring bit but I do change headgear pretty regularly. I want my colts/horses to learn to ride in different feels. Different shanks, mouth pieces, hackamores, etc... I use it all. Makes for a more well rounded horse. Nothing worse the getting to the jackpot and realizing you left your competition bit home, but if you have prepared them you should be able to make a good run in something else.

Chance runs in a super light hack (Coronet Trap Hack on ebay) or a chain mouth Rosie gag bit. I exercise him at home either in the Rosie, a short shank 3-piece bit with rollers (2nd picture), or a different chain mouth bit with less gag. This summer,  I'll probably ride him more in a Jim Warner hack since my husband will be running him and I think they'll do better with one of the chain mouth bits than the hack that I love.

Clifford runs in a Jim Warner hack with the bike chain nose covered in leather, and I usually exercise him in a  3-piece Argentine snaffle type bit with about 6 inch shanks (1st picture), but used the 2nd picture bit yesterday. I'm not sure what my husband will run him in this summer....hopefully the hack since I really like it on him.

Fred ran in a Jim Warner hack for me, and his new jockey will probably use one of the bits pictured at first. He's been ridden a lot at home in a Simplicity style bit with 3 chain links in the middle, and the 2nd pictured bit.

The few bits I keep around are my tender touch, short shank cervi and charmayne james Ryan. They dont seem intimidating to colts. Some have a little more gag and flex than others so that just depends. I have yet to ride a horse who works well in the chain mouth for whatever reason. i bought 2 for my current colt thinking maybe they would be a good fit for her but so far no go.

do any of you guys run with a jr cowhorse but without the chain strap?

I don't do ring bits. I just don't like 'em. My go tos are generally the med or long shank Ed Wright lifters, both twisted and smooth. Jim Warner hacks or Stivers hack if I want to try one of a hackamore. 

I did ride a very busy-mouthed, sensitive horse in a shanked bit with a flat leather mouthpiece the other day. He worked beautifully in that. I'd been riding him in a smooth mouth draw gag because even the action of a loose ring o-ring was too much. Gotta get me one of those. 

It depends on the day and what I want to accomplish. 

I ride in just about anything.  Chain snaffle, dog bone snaffle, smooth snaffle, twisted snaffle, combo bits, Jim Warner hack (more of the time) Easy 5, CJ Grasshopper.  

I like to change it up to keep responses current for lots of different feels. 

Running, Jim Warner. 

I like to exercise in a smooth dogbone D ring made by perfect bit along with a set of draw reins. If I have a horse pushing through that I have another step up bit also by perfect bit with the same smooth dogbone I will put them in. I run two of mine in the Jim Warner and one in the second perfect bit. I do have an array of other bits Kerry Kelly, Jim Edwards exct that I may use on one horse or another but the D ring and Jim Warner and definitely the two I mostly utalize.

Everything I currently have runs and works in a snaffle or little S hack. 

I just go with what works and dont really fuss too much on bits or moving them up. 

My one mare I run I ride her in a half breed to rope and do ranch work, she works super nice in it. Shes so broke though. 

I have a few that I alternate between. My current favorite is Paul Humphreys soft correction bit. I LOVE the feel it has. Or I'll put a draw gag on or a low port correction bit. That is, when Im not riding in a halter. My mare runs in an O ring and the other runs in a very light lifter bit so both dont need a whole lot. 

Slightly boujee barrel racer answer but I work nearly everything in my Dave Elliot spur up-12  (kathy james shank) with the 3 piece beaded mouth piece.  I LOVE this bit

I have light hands and all my horses seem to work better in a bit with some kind of port. For me, I like to go to an Argentine snaffle after an O-Ring. And from there I really like my Jim Edwards Leon draw gag and my Paul Humphrey Soft Correction. That’s just what works for me. My mentor rides almost exclusively in gag bits but they never seem to work the same in my hands.

Twisted O ring