In the typical movie depiction of a cavalry charge against mass infantry, the infantry just break and run, with large corridors suddenly appearing for the rider to kill the routers as they ride pass (I am thinking of LotR here.) As I understand it, cavalry do not charge home when the infantry does not break, and if they do break, large gaps don't suddenly appear for the horses to ride through.
So what would a proper cavalry charge look like? What should a proper cavalry charge look like if it hit an unbroken block of men, presumably a mass of injured horses and crushed men, taking both units out of the battle?
And in the context of total war, what would be the idea behavior of a cavalry unit charging into an infantry unit (both unbroken one and one that routs as the riders approaches?) A large moral penalty on the target during the approach, and the charge order canceling itself if the infantry does not break?