The advantage of a charging status

[GMcClellan]

In SYW, Cav is generally less powerful than it is in the Napoleonic games. If you want to attack infantry, you really need to do some things to shift the odds in your favor.

The most important of them is to get the enemy infantry into D status. Charging good order infantry is generally a lost cause.
Attacking from the flank/rear is the next.

That said, charging DOES double your effective strength (and then another 25% for Heavy Cav). So, you'll need to do so, when you do pick your spot.