Interviewed for a position, and hiring manager already contacted my previous employer to ask about me!?

I've recently applied for a position and was interviewed. I think it went pretty well, and laid back. I also got back in touch with an acquaintance who happens to be a manager at the company as well and he joined the interview. It was a combination of in person, and also over the phone with managers from HQ coming in and out. Near the end, the interviewing manager disclosed that he had already spoke to my previous employer's manager, and told me I had nothing but appraisals from my ex boss as they're pretty close and have worked together for years. I guess it's a small world, and everyone knows each other in this industry haha. The interviewer was saying he wouldn't even take a second look at someone who job hops but since he was close to my previous employer he figured he would check in, and interested my my career growth from my resume but I've held each position for around 3-4 years, and I don't feel that is really job hopping is it?

I've also revamped my resume, and hired a professional writer to spruce it up to target a bigger market and expand from my role in other industries. I don't think I lied about anything during the interview, but I'm just nervous on what if and would they share my resume for any reason to my ex employer's manager? I'm not even sure if and how that would negatively affect me but I am just stressing about it.

When I left my previous employer I gave them some BS about not liking the hours, and they tried everything to to keep me, and offered to change my hours, and a raise. I truly appreciate the effort they put in to try and keep me, but ultimately it was actually due to the work environment that I was not satisfied with, and coworkers that I had a problem with. Some of the managers were amazingly hard working to mentor, and be there for the staff, but some would be shopping or chatting all day online, and chime in when other higher up managers are around to make it seem like they are contributing. I just couldn't stand that they would be allowed to do that and be okay with it. My direct bosses were great, but I just didn't see a clear trajectory for my career path within the company and the culture I perceived.

I've been with this new company for a little over 6 months now, and just find the work tedious, and it is not utilizing all my skills and experience to my full potential even though the pay is higher and that is why I am applying to other places now.

End of rant, and my question is do competing company managers actually do this preemptively to contact the previous employer already, and even disclose that they did it? I was even asked why I left the old position from the interviewer, and I had to tell him the same BS story about the working hours which I know they do not buy at all.

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