Give barley to your horses; deprive yourself to give them still more; for Sidi-Hamed-ben-Youssouf has remarked; "Had I not seen the mare produce the foal, I should have said it was the barley." He has also said: "Superior to spurs there is nothing but barley."
Do not water your horses more than once a day, at one or two in the afternoon; and give barley only in the evening, at sunset. It is a good practice in wartime, and, besides, it is the way to make their flesh firm and hard.
To train a horse that is too fat for the fatigues of war, reduce him by exercise, but never by lowering his keep.
So long as your horse, when at work, sweats over his whole body, you may say that he is not in good wind. But you may count upon him as soon as he sweats only on the ears and chest.
Leave not thy horse near others that are eating barley, without he has some likewise, for otherwise he will fall ill.
Never water your horse after having given him barley. It would be the death of the animal.
Never give water to a horse after a rapid gallop, for here is danger of checked perspiration.
After a rapid gallop, water him with the bridle on, and feed him with the saddle-girth on, and thou wilt not repent of it.
Be clean, and perform your ablutions before mounting your horse, and the Prophet will love you.
Whoso is guilty of an impropriety on the back of his horse is not worthy to own him. Moreover, he will suffer for it, for his horse will do himself a hurt.