When Sonseeahray Cheek first found Malachi Acres, a Parkland riding stable, back in 2006, it drew her in. A horse person since childhood, Cheek was brought back to her horse-loving roots, and Malachi Acres provided a safe place where her daughter was able to build confidence and both were able to find community.
For Cheek, it also provided an enduring friendship with former owners Donice and Steve Muccio.
“Donice and I became best friends,” recalls Cheek, current owner of Malachi Acres. “She was like a mother and sister to me. It’s harder when you’re an adult to meet somebody who has such an impact on your life.”
When Donice Muccio had a stroke in 2019, her health began deteriorating and her husband planned on selling the facility. Cheek knew she had to step in.
“My heart just couldn’t see this place be knocked down and another multimillion-dollar house put here,” says Cheek. “Just knowing what we do for the community, for the kids, primarily girls, I couldn’t see that die. I do believe in a Malachi magic and what Malachi does. It’s something that this area needed.”
In 2021, Cheek became the owner of Malachi Acres. While deciding to leave the corporate world with its steady paycheck was difficult, she credits a diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma (stage 4 lung cancer) in 2018 with giving her the courage to pursue what really fulfilled her.
“I was diagnosed in 2018. When surgery failed, I was told the best-case scenario would be 5 years life expectancy,” says Cheek. “I was 49. Donice, my husband, my mother, and mother-in-law were all there. Everything in the room was moving in slow motion and became a blur. I remember just hearing muffled voices of panic with everyone asking the doctor questions on my behalf. This was a life-changing experience I had never imagined would happen to me. When someone tells you you have 5 years left, you really think about what you want the quality of those 5 years to be.”
Choosing Malachi Acres was the right decision for Cheek. “I do feel I’m getting paid more in what I get back out of being here.”
While Malachi Acres teaches dressage with the standards of a competitive show barn, its true focus extends far beyond ribbons and rankings. Some students compete, while others ride simply for the joy of being with horses. What unites them is a culture where kindness matters
more than status. “Being kind is the basic foundation of anything you do in life,” says Cheek. Nobody cares what kind of car you drive or what kind of helmet you wear.”
Connection and presence are equally central to the Malachi Acres experience. One of the barn’s most noticeable rules is that cell phones stay tucked away.
“You’re handling a thousand-pound animal,” says Cheek. “You can’t be on your phone and be aware of what’s going on around you.”
Beyond safety, the policy is meant to encourage riders to connect with one another and with the horses. “Malachi is a place to learn about friendship, trust, growth, community, and confidence,” says Cheek, who emphasizes that kids won’t learn all those things if they’re busy checking social media.
Students are also taught the fundamentals of horsemanship, including how to groom their horses, tack up, and administer basic first aid. Once they’ve been at Malachi for a couple of years, students have the opportunity to lead by teaching new students these skills.
“The really cool thing about the environment we’ve created here is that these kids support each other and cheer each other on,” says Cheek.
That positive reinforcement extends to the instructors. Rather than coaching through fear or criticism, instructors focus on meeting students where they’re at emotionally.
“Sometimes you get the best out of somebody by relating to what they’re going through and validating their feelings,” says Cheek. “It’s OK to cry. It’s OK to be nervous. Take that into the performance.”
For Cheek, the greatest reward has never been building a successful riding program. It’s seeing the impact that Malachi Acres has on the people who walk through its gates.
Now, five years into her tenure as owner, Cheek is still battling lung cancer, but her love and dedication to Malachi Acres remains.
“Malachi is magic. And if you have any interest in horses or horsemanship, it’s a really good place to come and be able to be yourself, not have to walk on eggshells, not have to worry about being judged, and just really open up and experience what the horses have to offer.”
For more information, visit malachiacres.com.