Apple tree trimming question

[Ook]

Some of you have seen my big old apple tree before, and posted a lot of good advice for which I'm gratefull. Today, I have some specific trimming questions. Please look at this pic:

few years the previous owner of my property butchered this poor tree. I'm trying to clean up the mess, and I'm not sure how to handle a few of the branches. I'm thinking I should remove the vertical suckers, but I'm not sure how to shape what is left. Should I also remove the smaller fork? Both had their ends cut off, and you can see the mess of small branches trying to grow out of the stub. Any suggestions?

Here is another branch:

's similar to the first. It forked, had the ends cut off, and now there are several new small branches trying to grow. I can post more pics if anyone wants to see them.

[simy1]

Just cut the weakest 1/3 of the suckers every year, and eventually try to give it a little shape. Do not touch the big wood.

[Ook]

I've heard that before, and it's good advice. What about the new long horozontal branches? Just let them grow for now? Some of them are 8-10 feet long, and stick way out. The story I heard was that the previous owner got tired of the way it sprawled, and hacked off all of the main branches (ack!). I don't have a problem with sprawl, I don't really care how big it gets and how far out it sprawls, just so long as the tree is happy and healthy.

[sherwindu]

I answered you before on this tree. I'm still not sure why you want to save it. It is really a mess, a pruning nightmare. You can try and remove these suckers gradually, not more than 1/3 of the tree in a given season, but is there anything left worth saving? You can try to develop some leaders, but the tree is so misshapen already, that I doubt you will succeed. If you are trying to save the apples, I suggest you cut of some of the scion wood and graft it onto a new rootstock, then take the old tree down.

Sherw> Some of you have seen my big old apple tree before, and posted a lot of good