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"The Muslims at the period were also very experienced in warfare" said Muz, and I think that is the key, even on day one of the period. If you can lead a caravan of spice across the desert, defending it from other tribes, you already have all the cavalry skills you need. In exactly the same way, the Souix in their day were called the world's finest light ...

I'd put it down to zeal - the Rashidun Muslim armies were literally fearless and welcomed death. Any reference to Muslim armies of the period by Rome/Persia noted their fearlessness. There was a strong sense of camaraderie down command chain, in that the lower ranks of soldiers knew what they were fighting for. Compare this to the Persian system which ...

A good point of departure is the wiki page on the Rashidun Army, which gives an overview of early Islamic infantry and cavalry. Also, the Military Legacy section of the Khalid ibn al-Walid wiki entry has some great info on the organization and makeup of his armies. The "Mobile Guard" is especially famous - the exceptionally quick Islamic light cavalry.