Quote Originally Posted by Espritduo View Post
You can unequip all barding and just have your chocobo go naked, if that's what you prefer. If you hit the square button/right-click on the barding it gives you the option to unequip each piece rather than choose a barding. The only thing the chocobo will have on is a basic no-nonsense saddle and bridle.
That's what I've been doing, actually. I definitely prefer it to any of the other available options, but it looks a little undergeared, and the design from the screenshot seems like the ideal balance to me. It looks like it's ready for a journey.