Also from Ibn al-Kalbi’s Book of Horses, my translation: David, the Prophet of God, was very fond of horses. He could not hear of a horse cited for his bloodline (‘irq), its authenticity (‘itq), it’s beauty (husn) or its speed (jari) without sending for it, until he gathered a thousand horses. There were none other on earth at the time. When God called David back [to him], Solomon inherited his kingdom and his inheritance. He sat in his father’s seat and said: “David did not bequeath me an asset I like better than these horses”. He trained them and served them. Note the order of the qualities David was said to be seeking.
I always found this story very touching. It is related in Hisham Ibn al-Kalbi’s book of horses, one of the earliest such compilations by Muslim authors: We were by the coastline; a stallion was brought to be bred to his mother; he refused. So they brought her into a house, threw a cover the door, and put a blanket on her. When he was done covering her, he smelled the scent of his mother. He put his teeth on the root (asl) of his male organ, cut it off and died. The story was related by al-Awza’i to Abu Yusuf to Ibn al-Kalbi.