The games have included seven disciplines: dressage, show jumping, eventing, endurance riding, vaulting, combined driving, and reining. Paraequestrianism will be included for the first time at the 2010 games (to be held in Lexington, Kentucky), while the FEI's two remaining disciplines, tent pegging and horseball, conduct separate championships.

The WEG represent the world's top riders and the world's most skilled horses, competing over 15 days. Riders competing at WEG go through a rigorous selection process over the 4 years leading up to each competition. Each competing country sends teams selected from the very best equestrians in their discipline. Some 57 countries are represented by 800 athletes.

The 2006 WEG were covered on television in the United Kingdom by the BBC, in the United States by HorseTV, in Canada by CBC Country Canada, and in Germany by WDR.