diff --git a/consumer.go b/consumer.go
index 6e584b6..854b96f 100644
--- a/consumer.go
+++ b/consumer.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ func NewConsumer(config Config) *Consumer {
 	}
 }
 
+// Consumer wraps the interaction with the Kinesis stream
 type Consumer struct {
 	svc *kinesis.Kinesis
 	Config
@@ -102,33 +103,10 @@ func (c *Consumer) getShardIterator(shardID string) *string {
 	}
 
 	if c.Checkpoint.CheckpointExists(shardID) {
-		params.ShardIteratorType = aws.String(string(ShardIteratorAfterSequenceNumber))
+		params.ShardIteratorType = aws.String("AFTER_SEQUENCE_NUMBER")
 		params.StartingSequenceNumber = aws.String(c.Checkpoint.SequenceNumber())
 	} else {
-		params.ShardIteratorType = aws.String(string(c.ShardIteratorType))
-	}
-
-	resp, err := c.svc.GetShardIterator(params)
-
-	if err != nil {
-		c.Logger.WithError(err).Error("GetShardIterator")
-		os.Exit(1)
-	}
-
-	return resp.ShardIterator
-}
-
-func (c *Consumer) getShardIterator(shardID string) *string {
-	params := &kinesis.GetShardIteratorInput{
-		ShardId:    aws.String(shardID),
-		StreamName: aws.String(c.StreamName),
-	}
-
-	if c.Checkpoint.CheckpointExists(shardID) {
-		params.ShardIteratorType = aws.String(string(ShardIteratorAfterSequenceNumber))
-		params.StartingSequenceNumber = aws.String(c.Checkpoint.SequenceNumber())
-	} else {
-		params.ShardIteratorType = aws.String(string(c.ShardIteratorType))
+		params.ShardIteratorType = aws.String("TRIM_HORIZON")
 	}
 
 	resp, err := c.svc.GetShardIterator(params)