The 200 quota places for equestrians were divided among the three disciplines (75 for jumping, 65 for eventing, and 60 for dressage).

The host nation France automatically reserves a team place in each discipline.

The top eight ranked teams qualify for the team final (Grand Prix Special), while the top two individual athletes from each heat, plus the next best six ranked athletes, qualify for the individual final (Grand Prix Freestyle).

Grand Prix Special, which is used to decide team medals, is a slightly more rigorous dressage test with emphasis on difficult transitions (such as collected walk – piaffe).

As the slate is wiped clean after the Grand Prix, team medals are determined solely based on scores achieved in the Special.

Nations taking part in the team final are allowed to enter a substitute athlete between the Grand Prix and up to two hours before the Special.

Riders can tailor a test to their horses' strengths, as well as incorporate movements that are more difficult than those required in the Grand Prix or the Special (such as a pirouette in piaffe or flying changes on a curving line) in order to increase their scores.

Athletes who for various reasons fail to start or finish any of the phases are eliminated from the individual competition.

Athletes are ranked based on the accumulated number of penalty points, and the top 30 advance to the individual final.

In case of a tie for the last qualification place, athletes are separated by the time of their round.

Rider Tine Magnus's horse, Dia Van Het Lichterveld Z, was found to have the presence of Trazodone in its system during competition.