What Is the Reality of Cavalry in the Second World War?

Mediaeval illustrations of battle often portray what looks like the split second prior to a violent encounter, rather than realistic combat. Historians have used psychological techniques developed during and after the second world war to probe the probable stresses faced by men and animals in pre industrial warfare. Were infantry more afraid of horses or of the men riding them? Did cavalry fear archers more or less than they feared other cavalry? What happened when charging cavalry met disciplined infantry in ranks? And at what speed did they come into contact?