No need to cut down on the plant, just re-pot into the correct size container and to the right depth. :)

Are you in North Carolina? The nights are still pretty cool over there in those parts. It may be safest to wait until it warms up a bit, and withhold any watering. The stem of your aloe looks pretty weak. I'm wondering if there is at least some rot or atrophy to the tissues there. You won't know until you cut into it. It's a good looking plant up top, and holds lots of promise. If it was mine, I would (once temperatures warm up, maybe late March): 1) cut the stem 2-3" from the bottom leaf with a sharp and disinfected knife (10% bleach solution works fine), inspect for dark spots. 2) If you find dark spots, remove a couple of the lower leaves by peeling the whole leaf away (they wrap around the stem), exposing the growth joints. Do this until you can cut the stem to healthy green tissue. It may be best to cut to where the stem is straight and the aloe is upright. The stem stump that will be under soil level does not need to be straight- but it helps to support and balance while it reroots. 3) Sprinkle some ground cinnamon on the cut and allow the aloe to callous over the cut in a shady but well ventilated area for a day. I've found aloes need much less time to callous their wounds than other succulents. A shaded porch works great. Bring it inside overnight if temps fall below 50 or if it's raining, just to be safe. 4) Pot it up in a well draining mixture that is not damp. The bottom of the lower-most leaf can be touching the soil surface, but no lower. Some leaf contact with the soil helps the plant stay upright. Use some stones, chopsticks, BBQ skewers, etc. to support it in an upright position. 5) Place in a sheltered spot out of direct sun but with bright light for 2 weeks. You can mist the leaves and soil surface lightly to hold off desiccation. After two weeks, water the perimeter of the pot thoroughly, but not the base of the aloe. 6) Move to its intended location. If you want it in full sun, it's important to transition over the course of two weeks to full sun, moving it gradually to more sun exposure. This will prevent 'sunburn'. Water as needed. The leaves get a bit softer to the touch when it wants water. You should see new growth within 4-5 weeks. * the aloe will change color, probably blush a rusty reddish color, in full sun. These are all safety steps. I've decapitated too leggy aloes and potted them up immediately or planted in the ground, withholding water for about 2 weeks, without problem. But a 30 year old plant deserves a little bit of tenderness. Best of luck!

Okay, I understand. I'm going to keep these two in pretty small pots until they have more roots established. I don't mean tiny pots- just like medium sized I would say. And I will add some small rocks to the top in order to stabilize the plants. Today I unpotted both of my aloes to see how much damage there could be and if any, it would allow me to remove the damage and let them callus over before repotting this weekend or so. The roots of the smaller aloe look pretty good to me- there is plenty of new growth (including new baby roots and additional growth on the longer, older ones). This was the aloe with the two leaves on the bottom that turned yellow and shriveled up- which I was told was normal and the plant was just shedding the older leaves. These leaves were easily removed from the base with gentle pulling. Just wondering if you guys agree with me and the roots look good and this one can be planted as normal in the new gritty soil. Two pictures of the smaller aloe: Next, was the bigger aloe which I wasn't happy with. As can be expected, it's roots did suffer. So I trimmed off the dying roots and was left with barely anything. But I was happy to see it has one new root growing! So there is something left there (: My question with this one is should I remove the dark part of old stem that is under the baby root? I don't know if this is rotten or not, it's soft and dark but not mushy or smelly. I'm thinking I should remove it because it's not doing any good but will that much trauma to the plant cause more suffering? Bigger aloe: One more thing, I read about putting cinnamon on any cuts or damage upon transplanting in order to prevent infection. Should this be done immediately or after the plant has had some time to callus? Thanks in advance for any help (:

Definitely can be grown well again. Cut an inch or so above the discoloured-by-soil mark, making sure it's healthy tissue you're cutting and your blade is clean. Set aside for a week or so in a warm, sunny area. Then follow the instructions in the link, but ignore the advice about the sand. http://faq.gardenweb.com/discussions/2765911/how-do-i-care-for-my-aloe-vera-plant