How to make hacking more interesting?

[TellMeHowToFeel]

Hello all. So I am very lucky to ride a fabulous ponio but not quite so lucky in that there's no school at all and no way to get to one except once in a blue moon. There is some really beautiful hacking, but only really 2 or 3 routes you can take with no options to do others due to very busy roads. So inevitably ponio gets a tad bored with the same routes twice a week, especially as he's a super clever soul. He is that bit older though so it's not as if he's hideously wasted and should be enjoying his years out competing etc - he's done all that. I'm more bothered about stopping him getting sour. I ride in company when the opportunity arises now and again. And I try to canter in different places etc.

Does anyone have any other tips for keeping it interesting him for him when it's the same routes for years?

Do you have any open fields en route? Or slightly wider paths you could try schooling movements.

You can school transitions between paces and within a pace almost everywhere. Many lateral movements can be practiced out hacking, e.g. shoulder in and quarters in almost anywhere, leg yielding and half-pass if there is a path with a bit of space, etc. I once leg yielded to get out of the way of a car (very narrow road, no other option) and the driver put down the window and gave me pointers...she was a dressage judge!