Regular hoof trimming keeps them just fine. Their feet are strong, tough, flexible, and usually not as brittle and shelly as those of a horse. They have less of a problem with splitting, chipping, and contracted heels. Mules excel in physical soundness. Leg problems are far less likely in a mule than in a horse, and when leg problems do occur, they are far less severe.
Mules live longer productive lives than horses do.
Farm mules average 18 years to a horse's 15 years. Mules can more easily than horses be handled in large groups. Mules can be corraled on farms 30 or 40 to a group, or up to 500 in a feeding pen, without the injuries or other consequences commonly seen with horses. Mules have a strong sense of self preservation. This is one good reason why mules physically last longer than horses do.