During locomotion, contacting an obstacle generates a coordinated response involving flexion of the stimulated leg and activation of extensors contralaterally to ensure adequate support and forward progression. Activation of motoneurons innervating contralateral muscles (i.e. crossed extensor reflex) has always been described as an excitation but the present paper shows that excitatory responses during locomotion are almost always preceded by a short period of inhibition. Data from 7 cats chronically implanted with bipolar electrodes to record electromyography (EMG) of several hindlimb muscles bilaterally were used. A stimulating cuff electrode placed around the left tibial (Tib) and left superficial peroneal (SP) nerves at the level of the ankle in 5 and 2 cats, respectively, evoked cutaneous reflexes during locomotion. During locomotion, short-latency (~13 ms) inhibitory responses were frequently observed in extensors of the right leg (i.e. contralateral to the stimulation), such as gluteus medius and triceps surae muscles, which were followed by excitatory responses (~25 ms). Burst durations of the left Srt, a hip flexor, and ankle extensors of the right leg increased concomitantly in the mid- to late-flexion phases of locomotion with nerve stimulation. Moreover, the onset and offset of Srt and ankle extensor bursts bilaterally were altered in specific phases of the step cycle. Short-latency crossed inhibition in ankle extensors appears to be an integral component of cutaneous reflex pathways in intact cats during locomotion, which could be important in synchronizing EMG bursts in muscles of both legs.