What gait is associated with a short straight shoulder?

• A. Fluid, sweeping gait.
• B. Balanced, long stride.
• C. High-speed lateral gait.
• D. Concussive gait and short stride.

Answer: (D)

A short straight shoulder limits forelimb reach and extension, which shortens the stride. That reduced extension makes each foot strike harder and with less fluid push-off, producing a high-impact, pounding feel in the ride. In hippotherapy terms, this is described as a concussive gait with a short stride. Other gaits described as fluid, long, or high-speed lateral require more extension or different limb mechanics, which don’t match the shoulder conformation, so they aren’t accurate descriptions for this particular conformation.