Short star products are filtered quantizations of graded algebras satisfying a truncation condition first considered by Beem–Peelaers–Rastelli and further developed by Etingof and Stryker. In this talk I will explain that quantum symmetric pair coideal subalgebras are realized as short star products on quantum horospherical subalgebras. The shortness property allows for immediate conceptual interpretations of antiautomorphisms and bar-involutions which had previously been constructed via the quasi $K$-matrix. Moreover, this perspective allows us to express the quasi $K$-matrix in terms of the quasi $R$-matrix of Drinfeld and Lusztig. The talk is based on joint work with Milen Yakimov.