Roman Heavy Cavalry Fighting Techniques

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One misconception that seemingly just will not die is that of the "cavalry charge", and also the "bayonet charge/infantry charge". Horses and humans alike are not stupid enough to run headlong at sharp pointy objects. There is no 'first impact', indeed no impact at all.
So what really does happen?

It depends on the definition of charge or how you are choosing to use the term.

No right thinking cavalry commander is going to order a slow advance into a hail of arrows or other missiles lobbed in his and his horses' direction. At some point, the slow, intimidating approiach of the cavalry rank is going to have to pick up its pace to get "inside " the range of the missiles and have enough of a force to make an impression on the rank in front of him (presumably on the enemy's flank).

Those being charged are quite capable of aiming at the most vulnerable part of the approaching horses - the legs in this instance - and armoured or not, an arrow can debilitate a horse or his rider sufficiently to make him ineffective in his role.

Also not keen on the references to stallions from Aulus Perrinius. Why is the assumption made that the cavalry rode stallions and nothing else? Three or four stallions left to their own devices are probably going to be more intent on maiming each other than the enemy. Horses were gelded in the ancient world (and yes, I am looking for the reference(s)) and a mare is just as much an entire as a stallion without a lot of the overtly aggressive stallion behaviour.

I enjoyed reading your analysis, Paullus Scipio; may I ask which sources you used for your post after the "so what really does happen"? comment.